


Dark Water

by BettyHT



Series: Troian [2]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 17:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16045115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: Second in the Troian series:  In his new home and in a new job, Adam tries to build a life free of the consequences of the one action he will always regret but can never change.





	Dark Water

Dark Water

Chapter 1

Watching the dark water slide by the ship, Adam Cartwright thought that it was a fair representation of his dark mood but then amended his thought. His mood was more gray than dark. Like the water sliding past, he felt as if things were sliding past him and he had lost them. Troian was with his father not that he had wanted to keep her anyway, but it meant his son was with his father too. There was no helping that without hurting his father and probably his son too. He wasn't going to marry Troian after she had so blatantly attempted to manipulate him because he knew that she would likely have used her pregnancy to shock him and then use his guilt and sense of responsibility to get him to marry her. However, by leaving to protect his father, he had unknowingly wrecked her plans. He wished his father well and hoped that he and Troian could find a way to be happy. Hoss had told him that he thought that Troian loved his father and definitely loved Jamie, and Adam would have to console himself with that. Yet, he was without his father, his son, and his brothers, and had signed on to take orders from another boss for five years. He would be far from his home and anything he found familiar and even communication was likely to be difficult. The more he thought about that, the more he wondered if he had taken this job in order to escape rather than for the challenge it represented. Although he had liked to think of himself as a logical and rational man who conducted his life according to careful planning and preparation, he realized in evaluating many of his recent actions, that he had been anything but a careful man. It made him angry and sullen, and unfortunately it made him rude and sarcastic to others aboard ship who attempted any kind of conversation with him. As a result, he frequently found himself as he did now standing alone at the rail as the others avoided him. It was clear he was disliked. At that moment, he didn't care or didn't care enough to do anything to change the situation.

"The burden you carry must be very heavy." A man leaned on the railing next to Adam startling him.

"I don't recall seeing you on board, and what do you know about me?"

"I haven't been on board much or on deck, I suppose you call it. I've never gotten used to being on these ships no matter how much I travel. I've been in our berth below. My wife told me about the dark-haired man in the dark clothing and the dark mood."

"I don't like being gossiped about."

"It's not gossip if it's true, and she was giving me her observations. She thought I could help."

"Why would she think you could help?" Even as he asked the question, Adam anticipated the answer and his intuition proved correct.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Reverend Paul Markham. You met my wife, Rachel Markham, I believe. She said you were rather blunt in rejecting her offer of friendship."

"I'm sorry about that, but I'm not in the mood to make friends right now."

"Oh, I think everyone knows that. Now, back to my original statement. Your burden must be very heavy. I would help you carry it if you would be willing to unburden yourself with me. We could start simply if you would tell me your name."

It was such a simple request that Adam could hardly refuse without seeming churlish. What he didn't know was that Paul Markham was a skilled interrogator when it came to working with those who had troubled souls. He knew that once he got his subject to answer one question even if it was giving up their name, he had them. Once a man started talking, even if it was only his name, he wouldn't stop. It might come slowly, and might be like waiting for a pot of water to boil, but it would happen. When he heard this dark-haired man say his name was Adam Cartwright, he resisted the urge to smile. Instead, he simply greeted him by his given name and got to work on getting the next part of the story out of him. He guessed it wasn't going to be easy, but they had weeks to talk, and he was a minister who could talk for hours if necessary. Sooner or later, this intelligent man was going to start responding to things he had to say, and eventually he was going to say what was hurting him so much that he had walled himself off with this animosity that projected all around him. Paul had counseled heads of government bureaus and derelicts in the streets of Sydney. He had never failed and wasn't about to consider that possibility. Leaning on the railing and watching the water as Adam was, Paul started with a philosophical question guessing that an intellectual approach might work well with Adam.

"Has anyone ever told you about the things you can never get back?"

Not yet seeing where Paul was going with the conversation, Adam replied with a standard practical line. "I suppose it would be things like money spent and rocks thrown."

"I was thinking more along the lines of words said, time passed, and opportunities lost. Usually regrets are built on those. Sadly we cannot get them back so regretting them is a waste of effort too."

"What would you have me do then? Forget it all as if it never happened?"

And there it was far more quickly than Paul had expected. He guessed that the emotional wounds must be very deep for the pain to be so fresh yet. "No, you can never forget it. That's the most painful part of losing anything. The loss is with you every day."

"As a minister, aren't you supposed to offer comfort because I have to tell you that you're doing a damn poor job of it?"

"As a minister, I have to be honest too. I lost my son to disease when he was only a wee lad. He had only learned to walk. Every day of my life, I see him in my mind's eye. I will never forget him. I lost him, and it will be with me forever. I cannot tell others that their losses will fade away and cease to be when I know it is not true. What has happened though is that I have come to terms with it and can remember him without pain. The loss is still there, but the pain is not. He is with the Lord and we will be reunited one day. I remember the good times I had with him even though the time with him was so short. He was a darling boy."

With that, Adam turned and looked out over the ocean. Paul had seen the look of pain on his face before he turned away though. Somehow talking about his son had struck something deep within this man. It was the key to his pain, but Paul didn't know yet what that pain was. There was no more time to talk then though nor for the next few days.

As Adam stared off across the ocean, he saw what appeared to be dark sails on the horizon. Soon it was apparent they were not sails as the storm clouds rose up higher and higher. The waves had been growing larger for the past several hours making the captain and crew noticeably nervous and the wind had changed direction and grown stronger. Now they knew why although the captain and crew has suspected as much and had been making preparations. They changed direction and began their race against the storm doing their best to get out of its way or at least to get out of its direct path. They didn't manage the first part but did do the second part reasonably well although they had a rough day and night of travel. Even so, they had to seek out a safe harbor for minor repairs before continuing their journey.

As the crew worked on repairing the ship and sails, the passengers lounged on land giving Paul and Adam even more time to talk. Finally, exasperated by Adam's taciturn nature and tendency to respond sarcastically to many statements, Paul started to be more blunt with his questions. Even that didn't get Adam to open up making Paul frustrated and then angry. He let loose with an expletive which was out of character for him and certainly not something he was used to doing. He apologized immediately and turned away with a sigh not knowing what to do. With a classic smirk, Adam looked over at him.

"It's bothering you so much that I won't tell you everything?"

"It's my job to help people. I cannot help you if I don't know the problem, and you seem to take delight in denying me the knowledge that would allow me to understand you."

"I take delight in preserving my privacy. I never asked for your help."

"Didn't you?" Paul challenged him with a look and nothing more then until Adam had to ask.

"How did I ask?"

"Every conversation you had or rather refused to have, every rude remark, and every time you stood at the rail staring at the waves, you communicated your sorrow and your pain. Everyone here could see how unhappy you were. The dark clothes reflected the dark mood. You wanted everyone to know or you would have hidden how you felt. But you're so prickly no one could get close enough to help."

"Except you tried anyway."

"I have thicker skin than most."

"What if I wanted everyone to know so they would stay the hell away from me?"

"Then I think the first time I talked to you, you would have told me to go to hell. You seem like that kind of man too. Instead, you responded. You wanted to talk to me and still do even if you haven't told me anything yet."

"How do I know if I can trust you?"

"How do you know you can't? Have I done anything that makes you think I'm untrustworthy?"

"People can seem like they can be trusted and they can't."

Leaning back against a tree and watching the waves roll in for a short time, Paul watched the emerald waters and the slight foaming at the point where the waves broke and ended in the wet sand. He thought back over all the conversations he had had with Adam and the reactions he had seen in the man. His intuition was telling him some things but he wasn't sure how much he should say. Finally he decided he ought to be honest with the man. It was probably the only way to bore a hole in the wall he had around him. However if he was wrong, it was also probably the way to alienate him so he would never break through to be able to help him.

"I perceive that there was a woman, a son, and a betrayal that sent you on this journey to leave your troubles behind and seek a new future."

Shocked, Adam looked at him only briefly before turning away, standing, and stalking away from all of them and disappearing around a bend. Paul's wife looked over at him and put up her hands as if to ask what he had done. He looked back and shrugged.

"Once more, into the breech, my love. Wish me luck." With that, he followed Adam and found him leaning against a tree about a hundred yards along the beach. He stood silently near him and waited.

"How did you know? I never told you any of that."

"I'm sorry if I shocked you, but I thought I needed to do something to make you start to talk before you exploded. I sensed anger in you and deep sorrow. You need me even if you don't think you do. I can help you, Adam. Please trust me to let me help you."

"I don't think anyone can help me. I made a real mess of things, and I left it a mess because I couldn't see any way to make it any better. All I could see to do was to stay away to protect those I love from being harmed by evil gossip that would happen if I was there. They didn't do anything to deserve being hurt. I didn't know what else to do."

"And that bothers you as much as what happened. You wanted to be able to fix things?"

"It seemed like I always had been able to do that even when my methods sometimes weren't the best but the end results worked out. This time, there was nothing that I could do that would work. Anything I did was going to make things worse instead of better."

"Why don't you tell me what happened. It's hard to talk about this when I don't know what happened."

"I'm not sure talking will help. I can talk my way around a lot of things, but it can all be just so much bullshit, if you can excuse my expression. I realize now that sometimes I try to find a way to make what I did seem logical and rational when it wasn't, and I can be very convincing when I do that. I can even convince myself."

"Oh, I doubt that."

"No, I did. Now, I look back though and realize what I was doing all those years trying to make myself seem like a rational, logical man when I wasn't. I remember once when I tracked down a man who had kidnapped my younger brother and meant to force him to work in a mine with other boys the man and his partner had kidnapped. When I had the man helpless and face down on the ground, my little brother asked if he could kick him. I told him he could if the man moved at all. I told myself then and later that the man wouldn't move and he wouldn't get kicked so it didn't matter. What I really enjoyed though was having that power over him and knowing the fear he had that my little brother was standing there ready to deliver those blows with me to back him up. My father later chastised me for telling my brother he could do that to a defenseless man. I told him what I told you, and he accepted it as if it was logical. It was as much hogwash as the reasons I used to justify leaving. I didn't have a logical and rational plan at all."

"You like to be in charge. You like control."

"I think I told you that so that's no great insight."

"Tell me more and perhaps I will have some insight to help you."

"Oh, hell, what can it hurt? You're going to be in Australia. It's not like the news is going to get back to my home." So Adam told Paul about Troian and the intimate relationship they had until he decided to end it, but how his father had helped her before she arrived unannounced on the Ponderosa. She was pregnant but hadn't told him even after his father had asked her to marry him. He left before she could tell him, and then went ahead with her promise to marry his father so now his former lover was married to his father who was raising his son. As he talked, he saw the various looks that Paul had and guessed that he had never imagined the twisted tale he was going to hear when Adam started talking. It took some time before Paul had anything to say.

Chapter 2

"Your one careless act had devastating consequences. You're looking at your later acts, but I'm looking at the first one. You chose to have a relationship with this woman without benefit of marriage, but you didn't even consider the possible results. You had to know she might have a child and that you would be obligated to marry her. Is it possible you preferred your father to marry her?"

Furious, Adam uttered an angry "No!" Then he paused and continued more calmly. "No, I didn't want that. I have to tell you that I don't know what I wanted at that point. I didn't think I wanted to marry her, but once I knew she carried my child, my thoughts were different. It was too late though because she had already married my father."

"You didn't even suspect she was with child when you left your home?"

"No, I didn't. I guess I was too wrapped up in other thoughts. She surprised me by showing up on the ranch, and then my father's interest in her made it difficult. I didn't want to hurt him."

"Or embarrass yourself by having to tell him the truth?"

Adam shrugged because there was no way to deny that either.

"It seems too that you are more impulsive than you seem to think you are and still afraid of your father."

At first resentful of that evaluation, Adam said nothing. He leaned back and thought about his life recalling more than one incident in which Reverend Markham's conclusions seemed to have merit. He had prided himself on being a rational and logical man but found too many times that he had not been, and that he had not broken free of his father's control either. "I'm sorry. I've gotten angry at you when I should be angry at myself."

"I'm not judging you, Adam, and I think you are more than angry enough at yourself, but it is not doing you any good. I want to help you, but first you must put down the burden. Your anger is a worthless burden."

"But what I did was wrong in so many ways. Why wouldn't I be angry?"

"I suppose there was a time to be angry, but that time has passed. I have had cause to be angry as well. Then it was time to put it down and move on. We develop habits in our lives. Our habits become who we are. Changing who we are is changing our habits."

Still leaning against the tree but more relaxed now, Adam was thinking about all that had been said. He cocked his head to the side as he watched Paul Markham stare out across the ocean they had yet to finish crossing. "And what habits are you changing, Reverend, that have caused you to uproot your wife from her home and set out for Australia?"

"In this case, no habits of mine, but I am seeking opportunities much as you are. Now, what do you want? When you are sure you know the answer to that question, then you can achieve it."

"I'm fairly sure I know the answer to the question, but I'm not sure that I can achieve it. It has eluded me every time so far. It's what every man wants, I think, and yet some never find it."

Thinking he knew that answer well before Adam had verbalized as much as he did, Paul ventured his hypothesis. "You want love, I think. You crave it. Yet, you need to give it to get it and you're reluctant to do so. You've been hurt so you guard your heart jealously and so deny yourself what you want the most."

Paul was serious and it surprised him that Adam smiled and then chuckled at his statements. Shaking his head, Adam could see how disconcerted Paul was by his reaction and knew he had to explain.

"You're probably going to be surprised that I was already given that evaluation, but you will probably be shocked by who delivered it. I paid a professional woman in San Francisco to be my confidante. I needed someone to whom I could talk and who wouldn't run out and spread what I said as gossip. I paid her well for that privilege. It wasn't the usual thing for which she was paid, but professionals like her know how to keep secrets, and she came highly recommended for her discretion. I doubt the man who recommended her to me ever guessed that all we ever did was talk."

"Your confidante was a whore?"

"Now that is crude especially coming from a man of the cloth. I would have expected you to be a bit more circumspect. I referred to her as a professional woman. You could call her a painted lady or even a soiled dove. The term whore is so crude, don't you think? We don't use anything so crude to refer to the men who pay them for their services. Aren't they equally as guilty of violating the rules of society and of God especially as so many of them are married?"

"I do not think I want to get into a debate on morality with you. I fear you could twist my thinking until I wasn't sure of anything any more. Granted, the standard is applied unequally and unfairly. Now, did you accept what she said any better than when I said it?" Adam shrugged. He wasn't ready yet to give a direct answer. "You are honest at least and you'll think about this, I think." Adam nodded.

The two men walked back to where the others were sitting. Nothing more was said about what they had discussed, but Paul thought Adam seemed more relaxed. Getting to tell what was bothering him so much seemed to have helped. Adam had a few short polite conversations with others and was generally less prickly around everyone that day and the next. That next afternoon, the captain told them that they would be departing the following morning. Adam told Paul that he was going to a pool to bathe and wash his clothing because it would be the last chance to do so until they reached Australia.

After washing his clothing and spreading it on bushes to dry, Adam lounged in the pool swimming at times and otherwise enjoying the solitude and the cool water as well as the chance to think about things. He decided that Paul had been correct. He did need to change some of his habits although it was going to be difficult. However, he had never backed away from a challenge because of difficulty before and wouldn't now. For the first time, he realized too how much he needed to grow as a person and how much he had been held back by living under his father's roof for so long. He was long overdue to find his own way and become the man he wanted to be as soon as he decided what kind of man that was going to be. Although to do everything he was contemplating, he was going to have to pack a lot of living into the next five years. He rather liked the prospect of that too having been so bored with some of the past few years and things that had occupied so much of his time but not his mind or his talents. He was startled out of his reverie by a splash in the water behind him. He turned to find Rachel in the water and from her bare shoulders, he surmised that she wasn't wearing any more than he was.

"Don't look so surprised. At your age, I'm sure you've been with women before but you've been alone for weeks and weeks now. I thought perhaps you wouldn't mind a little company."

"Rachel, you shouldn't be here. You're a married woman."

"If that's your only objection, then that's no problem because I don't care. You're a man, and a very desirable man, and I'm a woman. Nothing else needs to matter now, does it?"

Rachel kept approaching and Adam kept retreating but the pool was small with nowhere else to go except to get out and expose himself to her. He wasn't at all sure what he ought to do at that point but worried what she might do next. He was relieved and concerned when he heard Paul's voice.

"What are you doing? Get the hell out of there!"

Not quite sure who Paul was addressing, Adam kept his attention on Rachel who looked disgusted when she heard Paul's voice and then petulant as she turned to him.

"I only wanted to have a little fun. It was harmless. Nothing happened." She began to wade back toward where Paul stood at the shallower end of the pool.

Paul turned his attention to Adam who was still staring at Rachel. "Adam, if you wouldn't mind?"

Slightly embarrassed to be caught staring, Adam turned his back as Rachel climbed from the pool and, he assumed, she got dressed. After a few minutes, Paul addressed Adam who slowly turned to face him.

"Now you know my burden and why we left to go to Australia. Ever since our son died, she has engaged in behavior such as this on occasion. I had hoped to be able to supervise her well enough to prevent another occurrence, but apparently I will have to be more alert. I am sorry for any embarrassment she may have caused you. She doesn't seem to know what she is doing when she does these things. The rest of the time, she's fine. I don't know what comes over her to do these things, and doctors haven't been able to help. I promised for better or for worse, but I never imagined anything like this."

"I'm sorry, Paul. I won't mention it to anyone."

"Thank you. I'll go to her now. She'll be upset and we'll talk. It probably will help for a time, but then again, I don't know." With a resigned look, Paul turned and left.

Having lost his interest in lounging in the water, Adam climbed from the pool and dressed in the clothing that was dry. He explored the area a bit as he waited for the other clothing to be dry enough to fold and pack in his bag. He found some fruit he thought the others would like and brought that back when he returned getting smiles from those waiting on the beach to return to the ship who were pleased with the unexpected generosity. The other passengers liked this more relaxed version of the dark haired tall American and rightly assumed his friendship with the minister had been the cause of his minor transformation. The rest of the voyage passed uneventfully although Rachel was so embarrassed by what had happened that Paul had a difficult time coaxing her to leave their quarters at all except for meals. It took a visit from Adam to help her overcome that reticence. He knocked on the door and Rachel opened it slightly and would have closed the door except he asked her for a chance to speak to her briefly.

"Paul knows I'm here. He's standing right behind me. Can I come in a moment? I want to say a few things." After stepping into the cabin, Adam spoke softly to Rachel who had turned away from him clearly embarrassed. "Rachel, I understand. I've done some things too that make it hard for me to face people. I ran away from home in effect. I wish I could go back now to make things right but I can't. You can. Please, let's make peace and move forward."

Turning back to face Adam, Rachel looked hopeful. "What did you do?"

Stiffening at the question, Adam heard Paul's slight chuckle and then his response. "You walked right into that one, my friend. I didn't expect you to take that direction in the conversation or I would have warned you. She's like a bulldog too. She'll never let go now until you tell her, but she's discreet too. She won't tell a soul."

With a deep sigh, Adam decided he could do it again and told his story. Rachel was sympathetic and they talked about her situation too and how she found herself losing control sometimes doing what embarrassed her so much later and caused tremendous guilt. Adam asked a question then that no doctor or anyone else had ever asked.

"How do you feel or what are you thinking before those things happen?"

Rachel paused. "I'm thinking about baby Michael and how we lost him and how we have no more children and what a failure I am as a mother and wife."

"Oh, Rachel, you aren't." Paul was aghast never having heard her say that before.

"Paul, you can't deny how she feels. But, it's her clue to what she's going to do. When she feels that way, she needs to reach out for help because she knows what she's going to do otherwise. It's not a cure, but it might allow her to avoid any more, shall we say, unfortunate incidents?"

Paul and Rachel looked at each other and nodded. It was worth a try, and Rachel did want to change. She too knew Paul's lecture about habits.

Chapter 3

As the imposing headlands of Sydney harbor came into view, Adam felt some excitement and realized he felt more positive and hopeful than he had in a long time. The doubt over his decisions and the heartache he felt at leaving his family so far behind would be with him always or until he found a way to return, but he was starting to look forward and not back so much. Paul and Rachel came to stand at the rail with him as did a number of other passengers who were also seeing the land for the first time. There was a sense of adventure and a feeling of excitement at the prospects offered by the opportunities they would find, but there was also some nervousness at the uncertainties of what they would face. Adam and Paul already had jobs lined up but some of the men had come with only the hope of employment and were far more nervous about what they faced.

"Adam, I hope when you get settled that you will come visit us. You already know where we'll be. The church has a house for us next to it and we'll be there almost all the time I would think."

"I'll do that, Paul. I imagine I'll be very busy at first though finding a place to live and getting situated in my new job. They seemed anxious to have me here so I doubt that I'll be given any leeway before starting."

It took some time to sail the harbor and get to the appropriate quay where the passengers disembarked. Paul and Rachel were met by two very serious looking men who gathered them and their luggage and moved them off to a carriage. Adam waved not expecting to see them again for some time. He had expected to be met, but no one approached him for some time. Then he saw two well-dressed men speaking with the ship's captain who pointed at him. The two men looked dubiously at him but approached anyway. When they got within speaking distance, the taller of the two men spoke as if he couldn't believe he would get an affirmative answer.

"You are Adam Cartwright, the architect we hired from America? The one with experience in mines and with the railroads?"

"I am."

The shorter of the two men spoke then. "But you look like a common, I mean, you aren't dressed like a professional, oh, I don't mean to be impolite, but, oh, Randall, you handle this." He turned to the taller man then clearly flustered by the whole situation.

"Here there are some distinct class lines, and as a professional man with education, you would be expected to dress and act the part. To look like any common laborer is not at all what we expected."

"I did make it clear to your representative that I had gone down into the mines and saw to the installation of the shoring system. I have supervised the cutting of the timber and the construction of the honeycomb material before it has been installed. I've built buildings and been on the site while the work was done based on plans I've drawn. I don't sit in an office and trust that others will do what I know has to be done. I thought that was why I was hired."

"Ah, yes, it was, but I guess we had not thought through all the ramifications of what that would mean. I must apologize. We should not be having this conversation in the street like anyone might. Please, let's take your luggage and get you settled in a proper hotel, and then we can go to our offices tomorrow and discuss this." Looking a bit ill at ease, Randall had to ask. "You do have a suit to wear to the offices, I presume." Adam nodded somewhat amused by the man's look. "Very good. Then that is what we shall do. We have brought some papers to update you on what the firm is doing now. You can look those over before meeting with the others tomorrow. I've arranged for dinner for you at the hotel so that you don't have to try to navigate a strange city on your first day here."

Pleased that he didn't have to deal with the basic necessities if he found it too inconvenient, Adam thanked the two men and was also amused when they realized that they had not introduced themselves properly and had to take care of that. His arrival dressed as he was in his black shirt and pants had so disconcerted them that they were completely nonplussed. He kept that in mind knowing that it could be useful information for the future in dealing with any men like them. He almost smiled wondering how they would have reacted had he worn the pistol rig that was packed in one of his valises. He had been told that parts of Australia were much like the western parts of the United States so he had come prepared. Sydney was an interesting city with the vibrancy of a growing city with some sophistication but still had rough edges too.

Once the two gentlemen left with a promise to send a carriage for him in the morning, Adam enjoyed a bath. He might have lounged in the warm water longer except it brought up memories of the pool and Rachel. Preferring not to think about that too much, he toweled dry and dressed as a proper gentleman although he doubted his clothing was the standard in this country. However, he guessed it would be good enough so that he wouldn't stand out if he went to a nice restaurant for despite his new associates' concerns, he was anxious to see some of the new land that was to be his home for years. Descending the stairs with the clerk noting his change in attire with obvious approval, he asked for directions to a good restaurant. The concierge seemed shocked that he planned to walk even though the restaurant was apparently only a few blocks away. Adam simply smiled and told him that after all that time at sea, he needed to walk because his legs were stiff. The man seemed to accept that even if he did so reluctantly. At the restaurant, Adam found the items on the menu were not familiar dishes but found them interesting. He guessed he would come to like some very much but there were a few items he didn't think he would ever accept as a regular part of his diet. Pleasantly full, he walked back to the hotel not expecting anything more than a good night's sleep. Instead he found a message from his employer requesting that he attend a party that night if he was available. Of course his employer knew he was available so this was a summons. Dress was described in a short note and Adam assumed that what he was wearing was acceptable. He asked the concierge to summon a carriage for him but was told one had been waiting for him for a half hour. A bit bemused that he had already unknowingly probably irritated his employer, Adam thanked the concierge and walked back outside to the waiting carriage which whisked him off to a fine estate obviously newly constructed.

Walking into the front vestibule of the large home, Adam noted the various architectural features and thought about how he would have done things differently. He did his best though to hide that assessment when his employer introduced himself and asked Adam almost immediately what he thought of his home.

"It's the biggest in Sydney now. No one has a home that sits on a higher hill nor has a wider foundation than my home. I made sure of that when I bought the property and approved the plans. Now, I still own more property so if someone tries to outdo me, I can add on. What do you think of that?"

"I guess that's very impressive if that's what's important to you."

"You haven't said yet what you think of my house. What do you think?"

"It's a very fine home, and it is of course impressive in its size."

"Cousin, I'm afraid your new American isn't a lackey who will give you false praise. He's doing his best not to tell you that he is not at all impressed by your house." A dark haired woman had come up behind the two men and had a mischievous grin as the two men turned to face her.

"Grace, must you always try to create trouble?"

"Now, Connor, you know I have this terrible habit of telling the truth. Are you going to introduce us, by the way? It would be impolite to continue this conversation without proper introductions."

So without further ado, Connor Fawlkes introduced his cousin Grace to Adam and then went to find his wife and his wife's parents to introduce them to Adam. There were a few others at the small party, but it gave Adam and Grace a short time to talk.

"I'm sorry that you got dragged over here, but you're not married, and as soon as my cousin learned that, he started planning a wedding."

"A wedding?"

"Yes, Connor is quite scandalized that I am twenty-five years old and nearly twenty-six and not yet married. Respectable businessmen here are usually married so when he learned you were not and were older, he assumed you would be anxious to marry and might be willing to accept someone like me."

Somewhat bemused by her honesty and her obvious desire to thwart her cousin's plans, Adam had to ask a question. "Ah, and are you afflicted with some awful condition making you unfit to be a wife?"

"Yes, I am. I am an educated woman and I inherited enough wealth from my parents when they died that I do not need a man to hold me as chattel and as his servant and concubine rolled into one package."

Taken aback by the bitterness underlying those words, Adam said nothing for a time. Then he felt that he had to respond. "I have no intention of doing anything like that to you or to any woman. I have great respect for education and for women. I'm sorry that you are so bitter and angry, but know that I will not make things any worse for you. I will make it clear to your cousin that I am not looking to marry."

"Ever?"

"I don't know. Life is complicated. I don't have an answer to that question nor do I wish to discuss it."

It was Grace's turn to be quiet as she sensed some of the anguish lurking beneath Adam's statements. "Perhaps we can help each other. There will undoubtedly be attempts by others to do matchmaking for you. If we spend time together, they will likely leave both of us alone until they realize that it is a ruse. That could take a long time."

Looking at her, a small smile began to build on Adam's face. "Do you like the theater and opera?"

Grace grinned in response as the grand conspiracy between them was spawned. Their conversation the rest of the evening went much better as they began to make plans for evenings out. Connor's self-satisfied smile couldn't have been bigger. The evening ended well but late. After the voyage and the short night of sleep, Adam guessed the next day was going to be difficult, but Connor told him that he could report at one so that he could get a proper night's sleep and could get a fitting at a tailor. He gave Adam a card for a tailor shop with the expectation that he would use it the next day. Adam had expected something of the sort knowing his clothing didn't quite fit the norm in Sydney. He knew he still wouldn't get as much sleep as he needed as he did have some papers that had been sent given to him that he was expected to review before he reported to the office. He wasn't upset though knowing he would wake early because of excitement and habit. The idea of habits reminded him of Paul and he wondered again when he would see him. He did miss their talks already although the prospect of some conversations with Grace promised to be intellectually stimulating. He didn't escape the evening unscathed though as Connor had thought about what Grace had said earlier and questioned Adam about the house and got him to admit that there were some architectural details that he would have done differently. Before he left that night, he had another job and that was to make some drawings on how to improve Connor's home and while he was at it, how to make it larger and more grand.

Chapter 4

As expected, Adam woke early the next morning and began reading over the papers from the office. Based on the papers they had given him to review, his job was far more complex than the one for which he had been hired. The sheer magnitude of the job hit him then as did the many things that needed to be corrected in what had already been done in the mine construction as well as in the building projects related to that project as well in a major construction project in the harbor building a huge warehouse complex on the quay. Wondering too if the company would balk at the cost of the revisions he was going to recommend, Adam thought he might have a distinctly unpleasant time trying to convince them that their previous project architect and engineer had been woefully inadequate. He hoped the man was no longer employed by the company. Apparently he was not. A wall of one warehouse he was constructing on a quay had collapsed into the harbor killing several men and costing the company a significant amount of money. The man had resigned effectively by disappearing from the city and probably was working in a completely different capacity somewhere else. Since his flight from the city, the company had been relying on a set of junior architects and engineers but none had the experience that Adam had even though they had more extensive and recent education. Connor's hope was that Adam would lead them into being a productive team. If not, their competitors might supplant them. What he didn't like was Adam's preliminary estimate of what that might cost.

"Looking over what's been done, a number of things probably need to be redone. I've made a list of those things. A number of other items need to be altered mainly in additional support being added. No additional work should be done on any of these projects until the new work is ready to be done."

That led to the rest of the day being spent arguing over the necessity of what Adam suggested and the costs in time and money involved. Nothing was resolved and tension was high at the end of the day when the arguments were suspended. With his confidence a bit shaken, Adam took some of the papers with him when he left and ordered dinner in his room at the hotel. He wasn't done with the pressures of that day though. The clerk at the hotel brought a letter up to his room saying it had been delivered from a ship newly arrived in the harbor. It was a letter from his father and had likely been written soon after he had left to be here so soon after he had arrived. He put the somewhat thick envelope on the small table to the side of his bed. He didn't think he would sleep at all if he read it then. All the guilt and recriminations flooded back then over the decisions that he had made. He could only wonder at what his family was thinking of him and what he had done.

As a result, the next day at work, Adam argued forcefully and somewhat disdainfully at times for the changes he had recommended. He got his way on most of them but at the expense of his relationship with most of the junior members of the firm who didn't like the attitude of the new hire and hadn't liked the hiring of an American anyway. His forceful style didn't sit well with his boss either, but he seemed to be willing to tolerate and part of that was Adam's skills and part of it was that he believed that there was a chance that Adam and Grace were attracted to one another. For the rest of the week, Adam threw himself into the work to show the others he was serious about what had to be done and to set an example. At the end of the day on Friday, he told Connor that he planned to go out on the weekend to visit all the sites the company owned to see the construction in person and get a good view of the terrain and the geology of the sites. Connor approved but had one question.

"Don't you have plans with Grace this Saturday? And I thought we might see you and Grace for dinner on Sunday too."

With an internal sigh, Adam generated a smile and agreed. "Yes, I'll be sure to see Grace, and if she is willing, we will be there on Sunday for dinner."

Connor was relieved by that and smiled as he left for the day. Like any business in Sydney, Adam stayed at work that evening until all his work was done. It was nearly ten before he walked out of the offices ready to head to his hotel. It was going to be a long walk unless he could find a carriage at that late hour. One was waiting at the curb surprising him. Grace leaned out the window.

"About time you got out here. I was having a difficult time staying awake. Connor said you would be working late but I never expected it to be nearly ten before I would see you."

"Why are you here?"

"Well, you certainly are pleasant, aren't you? Connor thought it would be a nice gesture if I got a carriage for you and he thought we could have dinner though I doubt we can find anywhere to have dinner now except at my house."

"I wouldn't be good company."

"You aren't good company already, but I'm willing to offer you something to eat and then you can take the carriage to the hotel. Is that acceptable to you? I can at least then tell Connor that I did as he wanted." Shrugging, Adam climbed into the carriage. Taking that as an affirmative, Grace gave the driver instructions to go back to her home. "Now other than being tired, why are you such a croc?"

"Work has been difficult."

"From what I've heard, you've been difficult at work."

"If doing my job makes me difficult, then I am." It was clear that Adam was irritated by her comment.

"I didn't say I agreed with it. I only said that's what I've heard. I don't mean to lag on Connor but he doesn't see you as a cut up but he doesn't see you as a corker either. At this point, it could go either way. I seem to be the key."

"I could nod, or I could be honest and say I didn't understand what you just said."

"Let's talk over dinner where there are no other ears." They were quiet then until they reached Grace's house and were inside. As Grace got some food out in her kitchen, she told Adam to sit at the table. "We'll eat here. I'm guessing you don't mind a bit of informality."

"No, now will you tell me what you said before?"

"Connor thinks you're good at knowing what to do but not at getting along with the others. You don't seem to know how to be diplomatic. As the new man, he expected you to be a bit diffident as a new hire here would be, but you're brash and bold. He wasn't ready for that. However, your work is above reproach."

"That should be enough."

"Oh, my, you don't understand men like Connor at all, do you? He would have fired you the first day if not for me. You don't give him the deference he thinks he deserves."

"But he hasn't and you think you're the key?"

"I'm certain of it by things he's said. He thinks that you are interested in me, and as a potential member of the family, you get a lot of leeway that another bloke would never get."

"I never hear Connor or any of the men at the firm using language like you use."

"They're all such pikers who don't want to adapt to the new land. It's a new country and will have its own culture. They think they can keep the English culture intact here. It's already been changed and it will continue to change. It just isn't changing fast enough in some ways and its changing in wrong ways too."

Raising an eyebrow, Adam cocked his head and contemplated Grace watching her expressions as well as reviewing what she had said. "What kind of problems are you having?"

"It's nothing new and I should have expected it, but I was young and naïve."

"That didn't answer my question."

"I know, and a polite person would have allowed me my evasion."

"We've already established that I'm not polite."

"Yes, perhaps that's one of those habits you could work on changing. It's the theme of Paul's ministry, I've heard. I'm looking forward to hearing him preach on Sunday."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I can see why they're frustrated with you at work. You're certainly persistent and it's irritating. You know that, don't you? You could get along better with people if you had more concern for their feelings."

"If you didn't want to tell me, you would say that. All this evasion only tells me that you would like to tell me but are uncomfortable doing so. Are you going to tell me now or continue this silly conversation?"

"You are maddening." Keeping his silence, Adam couldn't help a small smirk from appearing. "I bet smirking is another bad habit you have." Adam still said nothing. "All right, then, I'll tell you. My parents indulged me. I wanted to go to school which isn't the normal thing for young ladies. Most only want to be schooled enough to be a cultured wife and mother and attend the best dances and such. I wanted more. They sent me to England so I could attend a good school because I couldn't do that here. I studied science and then I begged them to let me study medicine. I'm a doctor, but when I got back home, my parents were ill. They died within months of my return. I inherited their wealth, but even that has not opened any doors here. I cannot use my education. No one will allow me to use what I learned."

"Surely there must be a need for doctors here."

"There is, but not for a woman doctor."

"That's stupid."

"Thank you. I wish you were in charge."

"Can't your cousin open some doors for you?"

"I'm assuming that you mean that he could help me get started, but he's one of the main impediments. He doesn't want me to practice medicine and no one will help me if it means being in opposition to one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Sydney."

Their conversation had occurred as Grace had brought out food and set it on the table and provided plates and utensils. They ate quickly then in near silence before making plans for the next evening.

"You said before that you're the key to my staying in my job. Is that because Connor isn't happy with my attitude and my manner but thinks I will be the one to marry you and make you respectable in his eyes? I'll be able to support you and keep you from practicing medicine?"

"Yes, that about sums it up. And for me, you keep him from trying to match me up with old men who want a young wife and would settle for me." Seeing Adam's look, Grace nodded. "Yes, he's already tried that a few times. Younger men simply find me unacceptable, so he's looked to older men who would find my wealth and youth sufficient enticement to offset my other characteristics."

"Your other characteristics?"

"I have opinions and I'm not shy about expressing them and I desire to have a job other than being a wife and mother."

"Is there something wrong about being a wife and mother?"

"I suppose that's what you want."

"Yes, if I married, I would expect a woman who would want to be a wife. That seems only logical, and I would expect that she would want children too. It seems natural to me that those things would be part of marriage."

"Part of marriage? So would you want your wife to work?"

"Want her to work? I don't know if I would want her to work, but if she worked, that would not be a problem for me, or rather that would not stop me from wishing to marry her."

"Well, you are an odd one."

"I've been getting that response all my life."

"That sounds like the subject for another night. It's late though. Now, you should probably go so you can get some sleep. The carriage is outside for you. The driver has been paid."

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow evening then, but let's keep the conversation light. I would like to know more about Sydney and Australia especially some of the words you use. I want to fit in better here, and I think you could help me with that better than anyone at work. I also need to find a more permanent place to live, and you perhaps could give me some ideas about that."

Grace agreed and that's what they did over dinner and then at the theater. Adam spent the two days touring the company's sites and looking over company building plans on Sunday evening after returning from dinner at the Fawlkes home. He felt better about work until he arrived at the office on Monday morning. His associates had found a way to get back at him without seeming to do so. He walked into his office and found a stunningly beautiful woman there.

"Ah, excuse me, but who are you?"

"I'm Prudence Clark and I've been assigned to be your clerk. You didn't have one, and they assigned me to be yours."

When she said she was to be his, Adam's mind couldn't help but do to some fantasies even though he banished the thoughts as soon as they appeared in his mind. It didn't help though. She made his temperature and his heart rate rise.

"I don't need a clerk."

"Everyone here has one. You can't fire me. Only Mister Collingwood can do that. He's in charge of all the clerks."

Turning on his heel, Adam left the office and headed out to find Collingwood who told him that all other clerks already had assignments so that Prudence was the only one available. He countered every argument Adam made until Adam left in frustration. Collingwood sneered in satisfaction and several others crowded into his office to share in his glee. It was the first step in their plan to make Adam's life miserable. He would either quit or get fired. They didn't care which it was.

Across town, a friend of Collingwood was reporting to their main competitor about what was happening. "We won't have to worry too long about Cartwright helping them out of the messes that last man we set them up with created. He correctly identified all the problems and how to fix them, but the fools are insulted by what he told them and want to get rid of him. It shouldn't take long."

"We have a problem though. He's seeing Grace, and her cousin won't fire him as long as he thinks he's got a potential suitor for her. We need to ruin that too."

"We'll come up with something, sir. The bloke won't know what hit him."

Chapter 5

On Monday evening, Adam sat in his hotel room and picked up the letter from home. He had been putting it off long enough and guessed that no matter what was in it, he couldn't feel worse than he already did. He opened the letter and began to read and was surprised by the contents because he had expected some recrimination but the letter was more melancholy than anything. His father was honest in laying out everything confirming Adam's suspicions about what Troian had planned to do. What surprised him next was that his father had decided that he had a chance at happiness in the marriage despite all that had happened. Apparently he had found a way to work out a relationship with Troian that was beyond Adam's ability to understand at that moment although he did know that his father was in love with her so he guessed that was part of it. His father's ability to forgive was legendary to the extent that Adam had sometimes thought it far too magnanimous but in the present circumstances, it was the best for all probably. Then the saddest and most joyful part of the letter was the part about Jamie. It was clear that Ben was proud of the little boy but yet held some concern that he was raising his grandson as his son. There was no helping that at the moment though. He ended with the chilling words that Adam had already accepted in his heart. Someday Jamie would have to be told the truth even though it would likely shake his faith in his family especially in his mother, but Ben was correct. Jamie had a right to know his heritage and Adam would have to face it with him someday. He had trouble sleeping that night which put him at a disadvantage at work the next day and that was especially a problem with problems mounting there for him.

At the first meeting of the day, Connor Fawlkes was in a foul mood. He had a set of blueprints and errors had been pointed out in them. He laid them in front of Adam and demanded to know how he had let such shoddy work go down to be copies. After looking at them, Adam said that those were not the plans he had drawn. He sent Prudence to his office to get the originals, but she couldn't find them. Frustrated, Adam went to his office and couldn't find them either. At that point, he had a good idea of what had happened yet he had no way to prove it. He went back and gathered up the faulty blueprints and told his boss he would have corrected blueprints ready by the end of the day. Then he went through all the rest of the plans he had worked on and found that a few others were missing too. He would have to redo those too but sent Prudence downstairs to make sure they weren't already being copied. One difficulty now was that he was going to have to take all of his work with him every day or face this kind of sabotage. Without any idea why it was happening, he had no other way to fight it. He and Connor Fawlkes were not yet on a footing where he could confide in him, be trusted, and work together to find a solution so he too was in a foul mood the rest of the week because in many ways he had never felt so alone. Prudence made no secret that she would be willing to offer solace or anything else he wanted, but Adam was sure that was one habit he wanted to break. He didn't want to get involved with a woman because she was beautiful and because he wanted company so he fought the urge although there were moments he wished he had simply told her to come home with him. According to office gossip, Adam knew she wanted a husband and a home, and he was lonely. She apparently thought that was all there was to life. He wished life was so simple and thought that perhaps to her it was.

On Friday, there was some good news as the foreman of the construction crew at the waterfront warehouse project said that things were back on schedule with the new plans and that Adam showing up the previous Saturday had helped increase the confidence of the men in the safety of the project. He expressed a desire to see Adam there again, and Adam said he planned to be there on that Saturday. The man smiled and tentatively put out his hand which Adam took. It signaled the beginning of a great working relationship. Much of the firm's reputation hinged on the very public nature of that project so Connor was pleased to see the two men working so well together and that the project was back on schedule because of Adam's work. As Adam and the foreman walked out, the man had a request of Adam.

"Tomorrow when you come by, I want you to look over the plans for the work we're supposed to do next week."

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

"Maybe I'm a suspicious bloke and maybe I'm cockeyed about it all, but something seems off about those papers. I'd like you to look at 'em, mate."

After agreeing to do that, Adam bid the man goodbye and then went to his office to collect all his papers as he did each day. One of the men there, Collingwood, asked him why he did that every day.

"I work at home. I haven't anything else to do most evenings."

It seemed to satisfy the man, but Adam had noted that Collingwood watched him quite often. He began to wonder if he was the one responsible for the sabotage although he knew he couldn't be doing it alone. He went home alone although Prudence once more offered to help him with the papers he had to take with him. She was nice enough and he could use the help but couldn't allow himself to go down that road. After making her disappointment clear, Prudence left for the day. Adam walked out alone and was a bit nervous when he thought that two men were following him. Luckily, Grace showed up with her carriage. Adam climbed aboard with a smile.

"Well, that's a pleasant change. I thought you were always going to greet me with a scowl."

"I'm very grateful for the ride and especially the timeliness of it."

Cocking her head to the side, Grace wondered at his comment. Looking out the side window of the carriage, she saw two rough looking men staring at the carriage. "Were those two men following you? They do look like they may have meant some harm to you."

"I had the same thought. It seemed unlikely in this part of town." Adam raised both hands as if to say he didn't know.

Grace looked back again and the two men had departed. "They're gone now. You didn't know them?"

Simply raising his eyebrows was the only answer Adam gave which made Grace smile. "Now, perhaps you could tell me why I was graced with your presence at such an advantageous time."

"Some friends are giving a party and asked me to attend. I thought perhaps you might like to go." She saw his look. "It's in the country, and it's an overnight invitation. I thought you might enjoy seeing a bit more of the countryside."

"I'm sorry, but I promised to be at the warehouse building site on the quay tomorrow morning."

"And I suppose you always keep your word."

"Yes, I do."

That gave Grace pause as she contemplated what he had said and how easily he had said it. "I bet you do. You are always direct. That's a habit you should keep even if some don't like it. There are too many who aren't direct and you're always guessing what they're thinking."

"So what are you thinking right now?"

"I'm wondering how long you'll be working tomorrow and if we are going to be seeing each other this weekend. I want to be able to tell Connor that we spent at least one evening together. He didn't extend an invitation to Sunday dinner this week. He seems a bit put out with you."

So Adam explained what had happened at work as they drove to his hotel. Then Grace told him she had located a small house for him to rent or buy and said they could go see it that evening if he wished. He put his things in the hotel room and then they took the carriage to go see the house. The two men who had been following them were disappointed and turned back to tell their bosses that the plan would have to be delayed or altered as Adam was going to be in Grace's company that night. Adam liked the house Grace had found which pleased her. He got the information from her to make the arrangements to rent it delaying a decision on purchasing it for the time being. It was partially furnished so he could move in simply by taking his bags from the hotel to the house. He planned to do that as soon as he could complete the transaction.

"We can actually do that tonight. I own the house."

"You own it? Then why didn't you tell me about it sooner?"

"It only became available this week. The man you replaced at the firm used to rent it. His daughter came and got his things this week. I think you might know his daughter. She works at the firm yet, although I don't know how she can show her face there. She begged Connor to keep her on after her father did his dastardly deeds and then left. She claimed she knew nothing of what he had done and would be destitute without the job as her father had abandoned her. Connor felt sorry for her. It probably helped that she's pretty. Men are so predictable sometimes. Her name is Prudence."

Grace was unable to decipher the look on Adam's face at first because she didn't know him well enough, but though she was unfamiliar with some American expletives, she knew enough to know how furious he was as he let loose with a string of them. She waited until his anger was nearly spent and then had to ask.

"Somehow that name seems to have unleashed the beast. Surely I deserve an explanation after enduring that rather boorish behavior from you."

"I am sorry, and I do apologize for using that language in front of you. You didn't deserve that performance, but I have escaped the fangs of one diamondback only to find myself stuck in the middle of a den of them here."

"Pardon me, but what is a diamondback?"

"I'm sorry. It's a rattlesnake. It's a major threat to men and stock back home. Its bite is venomous and the Mojave one is especially nasty."

"What's a Mojave and how is that applicable here?"

So after explaining about diamondbacks and the paralysis that the Mojave diamondback can cause, Adam told her about the problem with the plans and sending Prudence, his clerk, to find the originals which she couldn't find and then sending her to the copy room to be sure that other plans were not being copied incorrectly. He told her that Collingwood had been watching him seemingly an inordinate amount of the time and that he was the one who had made the assignment of Prudence to work as his clerk.

"If you can, you should find out from your cousin who got my predecessor hired at the firm. If Collingwood had anything to do with it, I think we may be onto those who are carrying on the sabotage that is happening at the firm."

"It's still happening?"

"I told you my plans were altered. Someone did that to make sure there were errors. They wanted to either make the building project unstable or to get me fired so I wouldn't fix any more of the problems."

Grace was quiet for only a moment. "Of perhaps both. Adam, you need to go to Connor with this."

"Why would he believe me? What evidence do I have? It's all conjecture, even if it's damn good conjecture."

"What can we do then? If there's another catastrophe, Connor could lose his company. He'll own property but nothing more."

"We? You're not going to do anything."

"You're not going to do that thing where a woman can't do anything, are you, because that will make me quite angry with you."

"No, you're going to act as if all is normal. I'm going to move into this house, but I am going to start working more closely with the men who are actually doing the construction. I need to find what is being done behind my back. It's the only way to find out who is doing it."

"But how will you prove it?"

"It's going to be a lot of work, but I'll make duplicates of everything I do from now on and give the copies to Connor. He'll have the option then of checking to see what the work looks like on the copy floor and with the junior architects. He can go to the sites too although I doubt he will. I'll do that. Somewhere along the way, we'll find who's making the changes to wreck his company. He won't believe me, but he'll have the copies. My guess is that his curiosity will get the better of him, and he'll look at my plans, and then he'll go look at what's being done in his company."

"So, he'll find the rat."

"Rats. I'm sure there's more than one or two. Collingwood and Prudence certainly, but who's doing the legwork? There's at least one more."

"Those two men could have been following you to do you harm then. You could be in danger if they think that you're too much trouble."

"I don't think they're going to do anything too obvious like that, but I am worried that they will try to set me up somehow. Now, let's go get some dinner, get my things, and you can drop me off here later. I'm looking forward to sleeping here and not having to listen to the noises from adjoining rooms and people coming in late and being too loud in the hallways. The doors there don't do much to keep out sound."

"As your landlord, I can do that."

"Grace, no talking about this at dinner or outside. We don't know whom to trust."

"Can I talk to Connor about it?"

Sighing, Adam wasn't sure but nodded. "I have to trust your judgment on that one, but if you trust me, maybe that will help him accept what I have to say."

"I hope you're right that they won't do anything to you. I'm not too sure, and I hope that overconfidence isn't one of your faults. They did cause those men to die in that collapse of the wall at the warehouse. Killing men doesn't seem to bother them."

They ended their evening with that somber thought.

Chapter 6

The next morning, Adam was up early. He had no food in his new home so he headed out early to get something to eat and to head to the building site on the quay. He had a nagging feeling that there was something about the house that he should have discussed with Grace but couldn't think of what it could be. He wasn't used to being a renter and thought he would have to think about it later. When he got to the building site, he sought out the building foreman and asked to see the plans. It didn't take him long to find the problems he had expected to see. He asked for pencils and began drawing in the corrections that were needed. The foreman stood by his side and nodded occasionally and muttered expletives as well. He saw what Adam was doing and realized how important some of the changes were once he saw them drawn in.

"Jingoes, but they're thinking we're all mugs. Glad you're here though. Now, what can you do about it or do we have to deal with this all the time? The lads aren't going to want to work here if they find out some ratbag is sending us cockeyed plans could send us all into dark water."

"I'm working on doing something about this, but there's going to be some trouble before this is all worked out. I don't know who's behind it, and I'm new here. People don't trust me yet."

"After what you done for us already, we do. We'll do what we can. You ask and we'll be there."

"Thank you, but at this point, I don't know what I'm going to do. I have some idea who's out to sabotage me, but what I don't know is why and what their goal is."

"It seems they want this project to fail."

"I think that's probably true. It may be possible then that they want the company to fail, but why are they trying to ruin me."

"Mate, you're being a bit dense on that one. Ruining you helps ruin the company. I'm not feeling too safe myself now."

" You need to talk to your lads then and have them watch your back especially when you leave work each day."

"You think it's that serious?"

Not answering except with a look, Adam got his message across anyway. Then he reminded the foreman about the wall that had collapsed and how they hadn't cared that men had died in that catastrophe. They agreed to meet on a regular basis to go over plans to make sure there was no unsafe building taking place.

With all of his business concerns addressed, Adam headed home then to get ready to meet Grace later for dinner and the theater. He had a bit of extra time so he stopped at a few markets and bought some food and some other things he could use in his new home. The shopping took longer than he planned so that he had to hurry as he became aware of the time. When he arrived home with his parcels, he wasn't paying close attention and wasn't that familiar with his new accommodations yet anyway. He didn't realize that things were not as they should be so he was taken completely by surprise when two men stepped from his bedroom and grabbed him as he walked down the short hallway to bring new bed linens there. He struggled but they were ready for him and a cloth with a drug was held over his mouth and nose. He couldn't help breathing in the fumes and slowly succumbed to its effects. Once he was put under, other drugs were administered using a funnel and a hose, and he was stripped and put in the bed. Then Prudence came into the room wearing only a thin robe. The men told her to be ready, and they took up positions to wait for Grace's arrival telling Prudence that it was handy that she had kept a duplicate key to the house. Gradually Adam came to from the drug that had rendered him unconscious but was delirious with the second drug that had been administered and was still affected by the original drug as well. Other drugs were administered when they worried that he might not be completely in their control. He fell into unconsciousness again.

Riding to Adam's place, Grace was in a good mood. She had talked to Connor, and although he was a bit skeptical, he had admitted that Adam's conjecture did make a great deal of sense. He did say that if Adam gave him duplicate copies of his work, they would have a good plan for seeing if there was someone altering plans in the business. He didn't think Collingwood could be involved because the man was always acting like such a good friend but was willing to believe that Prudence could be part of a conspiracy against him. It wasn't a complete acceptance but did open the door for them to find out what was happening. The other reason for Grace's good mood was that she was finding that she liked Adam a great deal and was wondering if he might feel the same way. Although their arrangement had been for mutual convenience, it was clear they were becoming friends, and she wondered if there might possibly be more for them in the future. Smiling when her driver stopped the carriage by Adam's house, Grace waited for him to come out. When he didn't, she frowned because he had said he would be ready to go and would be outside as soon as she arrived. Instead, she climbed down and told the driver she would be right back. Knocking on the door, she got no answer but checking the door found it was unlocked, so she entered. She heard some moans and such so she hurried down the hall to the bedroom only to stand in shock in the doorway. Then she fled the scene she thought she would never forget. She had seen Adam naked in bed with Prudence who was laying on top of him. His arms had been around her neck and her arms were around his shoulders as she moaned and writhed on his body. She rushed from the house and climbed into the carriage telling the driver to take her home. She leaned back into the seat and cried muffling the sound with her scarf pushing it into her mouth. What she wanted to do most was to scream. She cried until she was weak and had no more sobs left in her. All her hopes had been dashed so suddenly.

Then though, her medical training took over. She had heard only sounds coming from Prudence and seen movement only from Prudence. Then she remembered that she had seen Adam naked and he had a completely naked woman laying atop him and yet there had been no physical reaction that one would have expected in such a situation. Knowing as much as she knew of Adam and though that was limited after only a few weeks, she couldn't imagine him being so passive in such a situation and allowing a woman to take the lead. She didn't know much about making love but she could guess some things. She rapped to get the driver's attention and told him to drive back to Adam's house. She approached the house more tentatively the second time and found the door unlocked as it had been the first time. However on entering, there were no sounds. She called Adam's name and got no response. Moving down the hallway, she felt her heart pounding in her chest and she wondered if she should be doing this or if she ought to retreat. She took a deep breath and kept going. Pausing at the bedroom door, she took another deep breath, listened and heard nothing, and then stepped up and took a look. It was shocking but in an entirely different way. Adam was still naked and still laying on his back, but he was alone and clearly unconscious. She hurried to his side and took his vital signs. He was alive. She slapped his cheeks, called his name, and did her best to see if she could get some response. He moaned a little and then began to retch. She pulled him onto his side as he emptied his stomach. It was a good thing he did so even if it made a huge mess. She could smell the drugs in the contents. He coughed and the smell told her that he had been given an anesthetic too. Close to him now, she could see the bruises developing on his arms, face, and stomach. He had obviously been physically subdued.

"Oh, Adam, what have they done to you?"

Pushing Adam onto his back again, Grace began working on removing the soiled linens from the bed. She had seen some new linens dropped on the floor just inside the door so she knew she could replace these. She got those and after rolling Adam back and then forth, she had the soiled linens removed and clean ones on the bed. After wiping Adam's face and chest, she pulled a sheet over him, and then looked for a clean blanket and covered him. She put a pillow under his head and decided what she needed before she went to talk to the driver. He returned in about an hour with the things she had requested, but when she dismissed him, he went to her cousin and reported what had happened thinking that he needed to do that to protect her. Connor showed up at the house when she was bringing tea to Adam to try to get him to drink something.

"Grace, get your things together. You can't stay here."

"Why not. I'm taking care of Adam. He's sick." Grace turned her back on Connor then and continued down the hallway and went into Adam's bedroom.

Frustrated, Connor followed and was quite astonished to find Grace attempting to get Adam into more of an upright position. "Grace, he's naked."

"Well, under these covers, he is, but all that anyone can see is his chest and arms now. Help me get these pillows behind him, will you? He's still half out of his head, and I need to get him to drink this tea. The more tea I can get him to drink, the faster he can recover from the drugs."

"Drugs?"

"Yes, he was drugged. He can't be left alone. Now will you help me or not?"

Left without much choice, Connor helped her and then stood by as she helped Adam drink tea one small sip at a time almost as one would coax a child to drink. As she did so, she slowly told the story to Connor who was aghast at the narrative finding it hard to believe.

"You're sure this is what happened?"

"Connor, it's clear he was drugged into near senselessness. You can see the bruises on him. Yes, I believe that's what happened. Until he gets his senses, we can't ask him any more questions. He may not be able to tell him anything much more than what we already know. I think they used an anesthetic on him almost immediately to subdue him."

"You've seen him completely naked then?"

"That's the part you're worried about? Connor, I've been trained as a doctor. It may surprise you to know I've seen other people naked too. I would see more that way if anyone would allow me to use my education."

"Grace, we've been through that. It isn't proper. Your parents indulged you far too much."

"Oh, go on home then. I can take care of Adam. I only need to give him tea."

"But what will you do when he's had a lot of tea?"

"I'll give him the chamberpot. What else would you have me do?"

Exasperated with her, Connor sighed. "I'll stay. I'll not have you dealing with him in that situation. I'll take care of that when the need arises."

"Fine!" Actually Grace was relieved because she had been a bit worried that those who had done this might return. Having Connor there made her feel safer. Within the hour, Adam did become more alert. Grace began asking him questions and as expected found that he didn't know much of what had happened. Once he realized he was naked in his bed, he did want to know what had happened. She told him what she knew and could see how embarrassed he was by that revelation.

"So, they set me up well. Prudence turned in her key but obviously had another. They were in the house even though the door was locked when I returned. There were two men. I never saw Prudence but she must have been here. Grace, I'm sorry you had to go through that. It was set up to put a wedge between us." Adam leaned back and put a hand to his forehead because he had a raging headache yet from the drugs.

"Well, it won't work."

Looking up, Adam reminded her that they could have killed him with what they had done. Murder apparently was something they were willing to do. "Grace, they're dangerous. They're far more dangerous than I had thought. I was wrong about them." Putting his head down on his arms, Adam looked up with a frown after a few minutes. "Perhaps, we should let it work."

Shocked, Grace shook her head, but Connor nodded because he had been thinking along the same lines as Adam. "He's right, Grace. If they think it worked, then they won't do anything else to the two of you. We'll see what else they have in store though. The two of you will need to stay away from each other. No more dinners and theater outings."

In a voice that was still weak and hoarse from what he had endured, Adam had more to say. "That means I don't have any insurance at work either. Something is going to happen there too, Connor. They're going to do something to make me look very bad, and you'll have to fire me. Without me seeing Grace, you'll have no incentive to keep me on if I mess up." Thoughtful then, Adam asked them if they would look in the next room to see if his plans were still there. They looked. The plans were all gone. "Those were my copies. Prudence knew I had them. Now I have no proof of the work I did. They can put anything in place and say it was my work."

"And with no defense, I'll have to fire you."

"I think my future with your firm is going to be very short."

"What will you do?"

"I think there's a construction crew building a warehouse on the quay that might hire me if you don't mind. They might like me to look over the building plans they get and redraw any parts that aren't properly drawn so that the work can proceed safely." Adam smiled actually looking forward to working with men he could respect.

"You'll be recognized."

"I'll shave off most of the beard and leave only a mustache, and wear different clothing. I'll use my grandfather's name. They won't be expecting me to do construction work so they won't be looking for me there. I think it can work."

Grace didn't like it, but there were no specific objections she could make. Quite early on Sunday, she and Connor left as Adam, although pale and weak, was recovered enough and they needed to be sure that their presence wouldn't be discovered. Adam blocked his door with a chair and planned to get a new place probably closer to the construction site. He only needed a small apartment.

On Monday, Connor was presented with complaints about Adam's shoddy work and stacks of evidence to back up the complaints. He had little choice except to let him go. Adam made the expected argument that the work was not what he had done. He could see Collingwood smirking in the background. Prudence wasn't there. He was forced to clean out his office and leave before the end of the day. He went to the house he had rented, shaved, got his bags, and headed out to find a new place to live

Chapter 7

When Adam had cleaned out his office, he had packed up some things that he delivered to Connor's office and thanked him for loaning those things to him. Connor had not loaned anything to Adam but accepted the items knowing that there was some message being sent to him even if he didn't know what it was. After Adam left, he unpacked the small box and read through the notes that Adam had packed inside with a few items. He leaned back in his chair and chuckled for his new friend and ally was very clever indeed and had looked for something that Connor had not noticed at all. Without giving anything away, Adam had noted the most important part of the set-up that had gotten him fired. The men who had stolen the plans from his house on Saturday had taken everything which included the plans Adam had been working on to correct some problems in Connor's house and to add on to it. Those plans had been included in the ones presented to Connor to prove Adam's incompetence with alterations made to make the plans faulty. Adam noted that Connor should try to remember who exactly had handed that set of plans to him because he had never worked on those plans at the office. The only way anyone could have those plans was to be part of the conspiracy. Connor did remember quite well and now knew another member of the conspiracy. Again it wasn't someone he would have suspected otherwise but it made sense. He was a friend of Collingwood. Connor noted too that Prudence wasn't at work and asked about her later that day saying she would have to re-assigned. No one seemed to know why she wasn't there. That seemed odd, but he wondered if she was like her father and had run when the going got too hot.

After clearing out his belongings from the house he had rented from Grace, Adam headed to the waterfront to find an apartment on his own. He had shaved off most of his beard and left only a brushy mustache. He wore his black shirt and well-worn black pants as well as his comfortable boots. He packed away his finer clothes in one valise suspecting he wouldn't be using them for quite some time. As he traveled toward his destination, he stopped in a shop and bought a few more plain shirts, a coat, and a hat. Loaded down with his two heavy bags and with an additional package, he stopped in a pub for something to eat. As expected, the waitress asked if he was looking for a place to live. He was and asked if she knew of a place. Of course she did and soon he was on his way there. The apartment was very small but the door was solid wood and there was only one window with no way for anyone to get into the second floor window without a ladder. He paid the landlord for a month and took the key. He settled in his two room apartment and relaxed for the first time since he had awakened ill and found Grace tending to him with an angry Connor in the background. So much had happened since then that it seemed that a lot of time must have passed but it was only a few days. He didn't have any food again, and looking at the door, decided he could easily install a bar across it to give himself more protection in case someone else had a key. He had an hour or two of daylight left so he headed out to take care of a few purchases and returned to find that his safety measure was still in place. He had placed a small piece of paper in the door as he closed it. It was still there so no one had likely entered his apartment or if they had, they had noticed the tiny piece of paper and managed to replace it in the exact position it had been in when he had left. Feeling confident, he entered his apartment with his purchases and set to work installing the bar across the door. Then he fixed himself a dinner before he laid down to get some sleep. The next morning, he headed to the quay again placing the small piece of paper in the door as his warning if someone had entered his apartment.

"Well, we don't have any openings on the construction crew right now."

"Mate, I think we already have an arrangement, but you'll have to hire me to continue it."

Shocked, the foreman, stopped and took a close look. "Adam? Now why are you dressed like that, and what happened to you? You look like bloody hell."

So Adam told him the whole story or at least enough of it for him to understand what had happened while deleting the more embarrassing aspects of it. When he finished, the foreman had sympathy for him but wasn't surprised.

"I figured they was gonna get you. Now, how we gonna work it here?"

"I do know how to handle a hammer and saw, but I'll need time too to look over the plans and make sure that you're not working with faulty plans. By working with the crews, I can keep an eye on the materials too to make sure they aren't supplying shoddy materials too. I'm sure they're out to cause another collapse. My guess is that as far along as these buildings are, the next collapse will be the roof of at least one. That could be very dangerous to your crews and more men could die."

"Lots of these blokes could die. Almost all the work we're doing now is inside. If a roof drops, everyone inside will be caught underneath tons of wood and ironwork."

"So, Mister Spencer, you know what we have to do."

"Call me Spence like everybody else. Now, what are we gonna call you?"

"Call me AC. I'll use Abel C. Stoddard as my name here. It's my grandfather's name and the name I used to rent an apartment too. When I was in college, some called me AC so I'll answer to that naturally."

"The lads know there's no openings on the crew so I'll have to tell them a story. The likeliest is that you're a distant cousin of Fawlkes and he wants me to give you a job. They may give you a bit of a blue at first about things but if you show 'em you're no bludger, then things will go just fine. It'll be a good way to explain why you should come on in the office too when Fawlkes himself is here."

"All right, then, I suppose you ought to put me to work."

For the rest of the week and the next, things went about as they expected. Adam kept a close eye on the construction plans making sure that all was being built safely. On the following Friday, Connor showed up with the full set of plans and had Adam take a look. After only a short time, Adam looked up shocked at what he saw. Connor shook his head.

"Yes, I saw it too. They're getting impatient, it seems. You've corrected so many of the problems they built in that there have been no collapses so they built in one integral to the whole support of the roof system that is sure to have devastating consequences if the building proceeds as specified."

"We can't do it. Men will die."

"I know, but if we don't, they're going to do something else."

"Do you know who they are yet?"

"Yes, but Prudence seems to have disappeared, and we don't know who the two men who attacked you are and we don't know who is behind Collingwood and Yates. They're the ones directing the sabotage, but someone else is directing them. I have detectives working on it and have alerted the authorities, but we have no idea yet who is doing it."

"We need to find out soon. This is coming to a head, and they're going to take drastic action. We can see that from what these plans show. If not for you looking for it and for me, this would be built in because only a trained architect would spot it."

"It could be that they're trying to ferret out who is finding their sabotage and correcting it too. Watch out for lags and spies here too. We don't know all these men that well, and greed can corrupt even some who seem upright."

"We'll have to bring some others into it to keep a watch. I'll have to trust Spence to know who we can trust."

"He's a good man. Tell him there's a bonus in this for him. He deserves one." Pausing then for a moment, Connor wondered if he should say what else was on his mind but decided to forge ahead. He wasn't known for his subtle approach to anything. "Grace has been asking about you. What should I tell her?"

"I guess that all is going as expected." Adam did his best to keep his voice neutral. It had affected him to hear that Grace was interested, but he didn't want to let Connor know that.

"It was all a sham, wasn't it? You and Grace, I mean. The two of you weren't romantically involved at all, were you? I'm guessing you never even have kissed her."

"No, I've never kissed her." That much he could honestly say. What he couldn't admit to Connor was that she was in his thoughts frequently and in his dreams often. He missed her. He didn't even like admitting that to himself. He didn't like that habit of falling in love so easily and wanted to banish those thoughts and feelings. However that was definitely easier an easier decision to make than to carry out.

"Ah, well, I guess she is destined to be alone. I've done my best, but no man can seem to be interested in her for long the way she is."

At that point, Adam wanted to defend her but didn't knowing that would likely give him away. Instead he said nothing more except to bid farewell to Connor and say he might see him in church on Sunday although they of course would sit in different sections and neither would acknowledge the other. It was a warning though to Connor's wife and to Grace to do the same. Connor understood and said he would let the ladies know.

Paul and Rachel were under no such restrictions and greeted Adam warmly after services on Sunday although Adam hung back until nearly everyone else was gone and quickly asked them to call him AC or Abel. They frowned a bit but complied inviting him into the rectory for a visit.

"I almost did not recognize you without the beard and with only the mustache, but the clothing was familiar as was your walk. Now, you haven't gotten yourself into trouble here, have you?" Paul was very concerned and questioned Adam as Rachel went to the kitchen to get some lunch for them.

"No, not trouble in the usual sense, but yes trouble of a sort. I should wait until Rachel is here because I know she's trying to listen from the kitchen and it will be so much easier to tell all of it with both of you here." Once lunch was set out, Adam told the whole story. He was a gifted storyteller and had the two mesmerized by the tale.

"So now you are trying to lure the shadowy figures behind this conspiracy to make some move to allow you to identify them or you hope the authorities will do so?"

"That's about it."

"But Adam, what if it's like San Francisco and other cities, and the authorities and the men in power are one and the same or tied together so tightly that it is about the same?"

Adam had thought about that, and it was what worried him most. Rachel looked back and forth from Paul to Adam. With a bit of a sickly smile, Adam shrugged. Hoping to improve the tone of the conversation, Rachel decided to share her news.

"Paul and I have good news. We didn't know it when we were on the ship. We've been waiting so many years and I thought it would never happen. I thought God wasn't going to give us another chance, but He is."

"Congratulations. I'm very happy for you. I know this is what you needed, and He knew it too. You'll be such good parents and this is a wonderful place for a family."

Grinning at being able to share such good news, Paul turned the conversation back to Adam. "How about you, Adam? How are you doing at changing your life?"

That gave Adam reason to pause. "I don't know. I am being more honest with myself, I guess. I have opened up more to a few people. Those are positive steps."

"Adam, I sense a 'but' in there. What are you holding back? Is it about Grace?"

Adam looked at Paul with a frown. "You have a bad habit of doing that."

"Doing what?" Although Paul had to smile because he had a very good idea what it was.

"You know what it is. You guess rather accurately sometimes what my issue is based only on a small amount of information."

"To be honest, it's probably how you said her name. It was very different from how you said any other name you used. There was a distinctly different tone about it, warmer if you know what I mean, and I think you do."

"I don't want to do this again. I don't want to fall in love with a woman I hardly know. It hasn't worked out ever before. It's one of those habits you've talked about that I need to change."

"Then change it."

"So I should walk away from her even though there are so many things about her that I admire and like?"

"No, I'm not saying that, but you started out by saying you wanted to be friends with her. Well, why can't you pursue that? Go on with the friendship. You said you haven't kissed her. Well, don't. Keep it platonic. Keep it friendship until you do know her better."

"Then when I've gotten to know her better and she knows me, we can make a more rational decision?"

"I'm not sure that it will be entirely logical and rational. Feelings will always be a big part of a decision to be romantic and then perhaps to marry, but yes, you will have a better basis for knowing if it is a good choice for you."

By the time Adam left his visit with Paul and Rachel, he felt more at peace with himself about several things, but the problem looming over the construction of the warehouses still loomed. He wondered too if there were similar problems being set up with the mines that Connor owned because he hadn't even had time to get a look at those projects yet even though originally those were supposed to be the main focus of his work. He decided that the next thing he had to do was to talk to Paul about that. However when he got back to his apartment, he found he had another problem. The piece of paper had fallen from the door and was laying on the top step. Someone had been there and probably gone through his things including the valise he had shoved away under his bed. It contained his more formal clothing and the letter from his father. He pulled it out and looked through it. The letter was missing. Someone now had it and knew who he was. He packed his valises and prepared to leave again. However, he guessed they would be watching the door. He climbed out the bedroom window and dropped the ten feet to the ground after dropping his two valises first. Once more, he needed a place to live and this time, he needed it to be where no one could find him.

As Adam moved stealthily through the shadows and away, he didn't think he was detected, but within a few blocks, a carriage seemed to be following him. He had his pistol strapped on under his coat and was prepared to use it. He kept the carriage in sight and when it pulled close, he got himself behind some cover and pulled the pistol. Instead of a threat though, he heard Spence's voice.

"Don't be a fool. Get on over here before someone sees you and shoots you or us."

Surprised, Adam hurried to the carriage only to halt before entering when he saw Prudence inside with Spence.

"Get on in. It ain't as bad as it looks. She's got a story to tell, and we needs to get along on down the road a piece. Hurry now, mate. Things are getting dicey around here."

Uneasy, Adam got in only because he trusted Spence and it likely couldn't be any worse than being out in the street. He leaned back in the seat and looked across at Prudence. She cringed under his hostile stare. Spence told her that it was no time to lose her courage.

"Go on, now, you need to tell him everything you told me, and don't leave anything out."

Chapter 8

"She came down to the dock area looking for you today. A couple of the lads were in a pub and overheard her asking a waitress some questions. They followed her and then let me know what was going on. I didn't know where you were but we caught up with her. She was scared and the story she told us, if it's true, is cause enough to make anybody scared. That's when we decided to look for you. I had the lads watch for you. They saw you head to your place but then saw that there were people watching for you to do that. I stayed back with the carriage and her, and they snuck up as close as they could to help you thinking them two men watching were going try to get to you. That's when they saw you drop out the window. The two men watching you were on the other side heading up the stairs so they didn't see that. One lad followed you and the other let me know the direction you were heading. That's how we got on your trail so fast."

"I almost shot you."

"I saw that. Didn't know you had a gun. Good to know that now. We may need it. Got any idea of a safe place to go?"

"Only one. Let's head to the church."

"That's not bad. I doubt they'd expect you to run to a church for help."

"They might, but they know I don't have a carriage so they won't be looking for that. Let's hurry. Can you trust the driver?"

"Yes. I don't know as we can trust her, but for now, I don't think she's our biggest worry."

Prudence tried to break into the conversation. "Adam, I'm …"

But Adam cut her off. "No, don't say anything now. Be quiet until we get to a safe place. Then I'll listen and you can try to explain your treachery."

Spitting that out with some bitterness made her sink back against the seat. It made him feel a little bad for her but not much. She did look thinner and a bit haggard, but he wasn't going to let her use her charms on him or get sympathy from him. He'd been through enough to be skeptical of anything anyone involved in this conspiracy had to say. It took only a short time to arrive at Paul's church. The three of them quickly left the carriage and moved into the church as Spence told the driver they wouldn't be needing him anymore that night and paid him for his services. Adam saw a light in the house and told Spence it would likely be best if he went to get Paul while Adam stayed in the church with Prudence so that no one would see them. A short time later, a perplexed Paul appeared with Spence and stared at Prudence and Adam.

"You've gotten into another messy affair with a woman?"

"No, this is Prudence, the woman I told you about who did her best to ruin my relationship with Grace and got me fired from my job."

"Ah, and why is she here?"

"Apparently she has quite a story to tell and there are people after us. We need a sanctuary, and I need someone I can trust to listen to her and help me judge whether she's telling the truth or not."

Once everyone settled in seats, Prudence took a deep breath and with an encouraging word from Paul, began to tell her story. "I did what I did because my father was being held. I was told he would be killed if I didn't cooperate. He had been forced to do what he did because my mother was being held with the same threat. We didn't want to do what we did. We were afraid for our lives, and we thought that all that would happen was that Mister Fawlkes would lose his business to Mister Winston and then all would go on as if nothing had happened. We had no idea people would die. When men died in that accident, my father said he wouldn't do anything more. That's when they took him and said I would work for them to take care of whoever replaced my father. I had to convince Mister Fawlkes to keep me on. I did, and then when Mister Cartwright got hired, I did everything they told me to do. I gave them copies of his work, stole his copies from his office, and anything else they said to do. I thought I was keeping my parents alive. I almost said no when they told me what they wanted me to do at his house." Prudence looked down then as her face reddened.

Paul interceded. "You don't have to tell us what you did there. We know."

"You know?"

"Adam told us so yes, we know."

"I am so embarrassed about that. Humiliated. I have never been with a man and to be like that, and let people see me like that, was awful."

Paul was sympathetic. "Is that when you decided you couldn't do anything more like that?"

"No, I would have done even worse, I guess, if it meant keeping my parents alive. No, it was something that was said while I was there. I said something about how awful it was what they were making me do, and one of the men said it wasn't as awful as what had happened to my parents being in the belly of a croc. I asked what he meant, and the other man told him to shut up. Well, excuse my language, but he told him to 'Shut the hell up!' and those were his words. They both looked at me then to see how I reacted. I did my best to act like I didn't understand, but I did. My parents are dead. They killed them."

"Why come to me? Why not go to the authorities with what you know?"

"They've got someone there helping them too. I don't know who it is, but I've heard them mention their mate in the constabulary and then they laugh. I don't think they respect him at all, but he is able to protect them, the two who do all the dirty work that is. They know that Mister Fawlkes knows about Collingwood and Yates, but they said he doesn't have any proof and anything he turned in is gone now anyway because any evidence turned in is always taken care of by this man."

After thinking for only a short time, Adam smiled. "He'll be easy enough to uncover. Connor made copies of everything. He can make more. He can take those directly to the local prosecutor who can compare what he got from his police source and then he'll know that it was sanitized. He can deal with that then. Connor has enough clout to move up the ladder like that."

"Both are members of the church. I could even ask them to meet here to discuss the matter. That way if Winston has others in his employ, they would not be privy to the matter."

"Good thinking, Paul. You'd make a fine detective too."

"So you believe me?"

Attention shifted back to Prudence. Almost reluctantly Adam had to admit to her that he did believe her. Spence nodded too. Paul took charge.

"Adam, you and Spence can rest here in the church tonight. I can bring a couple of blankets to you. Miss Clark, you come with me to the house. My wife, Rachel, will get you settled in our guest room. You'll stay here until it's safe. Adam, tomorrow morning, I'll go to see Connor and let him know what has happened. Spence can go to work but you need to stay here. They know who you are and you are not safe. I'll get some food to you and perhaps a book to read."

"I think I'll head home. I don't think the blokes know I'm involved yet and I've got my lads looking out for me. I want to make sure my family is safe too. Adam will be fine here."

So Adam had a night alone to rest and to think. He got to evaluate a lot of things and tried to think of how he might have done things differently to have gotten to a different result and couldn't come up with anything. It seemed that events had moved him along rather than him moving events. He needed to try to do something about that or he knew he was likely to become a victim of the men pulling the strings of this conspiracy. He began to think about the changes in the plans and how obvious they had been. It had been so easy to see. Connor had been alarmed and had brought them to Adam immediately. That had probably helped unmask him as the one at the site who was fixing the plans and set them on his trail eventually leading to them uncovering his true identity. But he kept coming back to that obvious fault built into the plans. Earlier issues had been more subtle and it had taken his expertise to find them. Almost anyone would have spotted this latest one. Then he realized what their strategy must be: they had shocked them with a major fault so that they could do something else that they wouldn't notice. There was something else going on at that building site that was going to lead to a catastrophic failure. They were spending all of their time focusing on the roofs collapsing because that was where all the early problems had been in the plans, but what if their adversaries had shifted their focus. What were the other areas that could be exploited? It hit him hard when he realized the problem. There were four main support posts for the roof system. If those fell, the whole complex could collapse. They were well set and supported, but a charge set at the base of two or more of them could begin a a catastrophic collapse. He left the church and hurried to the rectory. He didn't make it as he was hit on the head and dragged to a carriage that was driven to the construction site. Waking later in complete darkness, he smelled dirt and sawdust as well as the harbor as he lay face down. He heard voices too.

"Now what do we do with him?"

"He ain't had time to run to his boss with anything. We toss him in the harbor like Winston said."

"He's still alive."

"He won't be for long. He's senseless so he'll drown. They'll find his body after the blasts. They'll probably figure he's the one who done it just like Winston said."

"Why?"

"Don't you understand anything? He got fired. He's here to get even. It'll make sense to everybody except Fawlkes and he can't prove nothing. He'll be ruined and nobody is gonna listen to him anyway."

Still dazed, Adam guessed he wouldn't be able to fight the two men so he feigned unconsciousness and was summarily dumped into the harbor. It was a long way down and a shock to hit the water, but he remembered the lesson his father had taught him decades earlier when he was a child. If you're too tired to swim, relax and your body will float. He had objected then that his face was in the water but his father had said to turn to the side as needed and take a breath. In the darkness, Adam did that and could hear the men up above laughing as his body floated face down in the water. As he was able to get some air and regain his senses a bit, he caused himself to sink slowly under the water. He knew he was bleeding and had heard there were sharks in the harbor. He hoped there weren't any this close. Once submerged, he turned and made his way back to the pilings although he almost panicked at one point in the dark water when he wasn't sure which direction he was going. He banged into a piling hurting his shoulder but was relieved to know he wasn't swimming further out into the harbor. He was under the quay and surfaced gasping for air as he clung to the slimy piling. Then slowly, he made his way along the pilings toward the shore where he could see a few lights in the distance to guide his way. Once there, he collapsed in the mud unable to go any further. He lay there as dawn broke and men arrived to work.

Several men noticed Adam lying there and came down to see if it was a body or if he was alive. They were shocked to find out who it was and called to Spence who had been alerted that Adam was missing. In a hoarse and weak voice, Adam told him to get all the men out of the construction site. Spence paused only a second before turning and yelling to the men to evacuate the building site. Then he turned back to Adam to ask the reasons why, but Adam didn't get much of a chance to explain. By the time someone brought him some water to drink and he began to tell his tale, there were three blasts and the whole complex began to collapse. There were only some minor injuries to men hurt by debris flying out from the disastrous failure of the buildings under construction, but because of Adam's warning, no one was killed. All gathered together and wanted to know what had happened. Police were soon there having been tipped off that Adam was going to blow up the buildings and were ready to arrest him. Connor Fawlkes arrived as well and there was a significant amount of confusion.

Eventually an office was found where all the principals could meet. One by one, they all told what they knew. Prudence was brought there from Paul's home too and added what she knew. The lads who had witnessed what had happened with the men following Adam were brought in too to help verify his account. Adam spent a good part of the meeting with his head resting on his arms. He had a terrible headache and was exhausted. He answered questions and did his best to describe what he could of the two men who had taken him but it wasn't much. However it was enough to match the description of the two men Prudence described. The police seemed familiar with them and by midday, there were warrants issued for their arrests. Late in the day, they were brought in because they had been overconfident thinking that they had covered their tracks well enough. Facing a death penalty, they quickly began informing on those who had ordered them to do all the illegal acts they had done. Collingwood and Yates were arrested based on their testimony and those two gentlemen broke quickly too. Two men at police headquarters were arrested including one of high rank. Then, although police were reluctant to arrest one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Sydney and one with important political connections, with all the evidence they had, Aubrey Winston was arrested at his home as he was enjoying a cigar after dinner. Shocked beyond imagining, he loudly exclaimed that heads would roll. He was correct but not in whose heads were going to roll. The meeting broke up at police headquarters and everyone headed home. Adam had no place to go. Connor waited until the room had cleared.

"Get a room at the hotel where you first stayed. It's on my tab. You need a bath and I daresay some sleep. You look like bloody hell. Then tomorrow, we need to talk."

All Adam could manage was a nod. After Connor left, he struggled to his feet and walked slowly outside. A familiar carriage waited there for him. He didn't have the energy for any clever repartee or anything else though so he stood there staring instead of moving toward it. Grace climbed down from the carriage and came to take his arm.

"You're hurt and no one has bothered to take care of that. I brought my bag. I'll take care of you. It's what friends do. You trust me, don't you?"

With a nod, Adam moved with her to the carriage, climbed inside, and collapsed back into the seat closing his eyes. Grace smiled benignly at him and told the driver to take him to her house.

Chapter 9

At Grace's home, she quickly got a tub of water ready and told Adam to go ahead and bathe as well as telling him that she would get his clothing once he was in the tub so she could have them washed. Then she left him alone and when she knocked on the door again, opened it, and looked in found Adam looking like he had probably been close to falling asleep in that tub of soapy water.

"Adam, I want to wash your hair and check on that wound. I can see that you've bled some. Your friends told me you were hit on the head and had been bleeding. Once your hair is clean, I can take a look at it to see if you need stitches or if a bandage will be sufficient. Then I think you'll need to get out of the bath before you fall asleep and drown."

That last part startled Adam into wakefulness. Grace noted the change in his demeanor and guessed correctly that there was more to that story. She could also see that he was embarrassed to have her in the washroom with him so she stayed as businesslike as possible working quickly to wash his hair and examine his head wound determining that a bandage would be sufficient. She pointed at a stack of towels and a blanket and told him to dry off and wrap in the blanket.

"When you're ready, I'll show you the guest room. I'll bandage your head, give you some hot soup, and then let you get some sleep."

Knowing there were things he ought to discuss with her and that there were things he ought to do or remember to do, Adam simply didn't have the energy to do anything more than agree with her. Within a half hour, he was alone in bed and fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes. He didn't wake until there were loud voices and light was streaming in the windows. Guessing that probably ten hours or so had passed, Adam couldn't get up to investigate because he realized he had no clothing and wasn't going to parade around in Grace's house wrapped in a blanket. He remembered doing that the night before walking from the washroom to this bedroom, sitting on a chair as she bandaged his head and he drank a cup of hot, thick, rich broth before she had left telling him to get into bed and get some sleep. He guessed she had probably checked on him but he had never heard anything sleeping soundly through the night. Now he has a slight headache and listened to Grace argue with Connor because the two could be heard quite easily.

"Grace, this is the second time I've found you alone with him in a house and you tell me he's naked in bed. Your reputation doesn't seem to matter to you, but you're part of a family, and our reputation does matter to us."

"Oh, Connor, the man was senseless the last time, completely out of his head after being drugged, and he needed medical care this time, and none of you paid any attention to that. When I came down to see what was happening, it was the men who worked with him at the warehouse site who told me he was hurt and needed help. When I saw him, I could see he was in no shape to be left alone. It would have been far more scandalous if I had stayed in his hotel room and watched over him. Only my housekeeper and driver know he is here."

"But he shouldn't be here. You could have taken him to his friend's house, that minister he knows so well."

"I could have, but I didn't, because I could take care of him perfectly fine here."

"Well, he can't stay here."

"He can stay here as long as he needs to stay here."

"Well, how is he then? Is he ready to leave today because I can give him a ride to the hotel? There are some things I would like to discuss with him anyway."

"I don't know. I haven't looked in on him since midnight. I was sleeping until you so rudely awakened me."

"Well, why don't you get properly dressed then, and we can see how he's doing."

"I am properly dressed."

"You are in a robe. It isn't proper for you to go into his bedroom dressed like that."

"Oh for goodness sakes, Connor, he's not going to attack me. Besides, Mavis probably has his clothing laundered and I can bring that to him. I'm sure he would like to get dressed too."

"I'll bring him his clothing. You go get dressed. Perhaps we can meet in the dining room like civilized people?"

With an exasperated sigh and shake of her head, Grace agreed. Connor was only a few years older but acted as if he was her father's age. It was nice that he looked out for her, but sometimes she found it smothering. This was one of those times. An hour later, they were all seated at the dining room table. Adam and Grace had been served breakfast and Connor had enjoyed tea while waiting for them to finish. He was anxious to lay out some proposals to Adam who could see how nervous Connor seemed or perhaps on edge was a better description.

"All right, Connor. What is it? You obviously have something to say to me. I'm ready." What he heard next was not at all what Adam was expecting.

"I've been thinking about doing something like this for a long time. You struck me as boorish and uncouth when I first met you. You are so different than I am that I could not conceive of you fitting in here in the business world, yet you get the job done and have a way with the men that I will never have. I've taken a major loss with the explosion, but because you and the others were able to help prove it was Winston who was responsible, my reputation is intact and I can recoup much of the loss by going after Winston's assets. My legal representatives are already hard at work at that this morning. I also have railroad and mining interests. I can see your look. Yes, I know you were hired expecting to be working primarily with those. What I'm proposing is a partnership. I need an infusion of some capital to rebuild and to build. You have some from what I know. You also have skills and knowledge to help the business grow."

Thinking about it for a time, Adam asked a key question. "What percentage partnership?"

"I was thinking that seventy to thirty would be fair as I already own so much."

"But a lot of it won't bring in much revenue without someone who can make the mines profitable and build an efficient rail system on the right of ways that you own. You also want an infusion of capital. I think fifty to fifty is more reasonable."

It was Connor's turn to think for a time. He needed Adam but couldn't bring himself to let him have half control of his company. "Sixty to forty and the lawyers can draft some articles of dissolution and divestiture if the arrangement doesn't work out in five years."

"Connor, do you think we can work together?"

"Are there reasons you think we cannot?"

"At first I thought you were pompous and arrogant, but now I've come to realize that it seems to be a trait here to want things to be the best, tallest, longest, or whatever as long as the word ends in est. It's a sign of wanting progress and seeking to be the best rather than some overblown sense of pride. The rules of class distinction are a bit foreign to me, but I think that if I had lived in the eastern part of my own country, I would have run into the same kind of thing."

"Do you think you can adapt to our ways enough to be comfortable here?"

"I'll do my best, and I'd like a little time to think about your offer. I like it, but I want some time." Adam could see how Connor was looking nervous about that and smiled. "Not a lot of time. I'll give you an answer by dinner this evening. I've only been awake for a short time, and I need time to think a bit, but I must say that at the moment, I am inclined to say yes. Before I do though, I want to be sure that's the answer that I want to give and that I can wholeheartedly say that I will commit to making it succeed."

Smiling then, Connor made plans to meet with Adam later in the day. "At the hotel." Which he pointedly directed toward Grace even as he was addressing Adam. "I'll have a room ready for you there. The three of us could meet there for dinner perhaps."

Grace was pleased by Connor's idea but startled by how Adam answered her cousin's proposal.

"Yes, I'm agreeable to that or you and I could meet and talk about that partnership. Could you have my valises picked up from the church? That's the last place I saw them, and I would like to have them back."

Connor noted that Adam had opened the door to Grace not being at the dinner but left that issue for the two of them to settle. He was guessing that Adam wasn't as interested in a relationship with Grace as she was with him. He found that mildly disappointing but not surprising. "Oh, I almost forgot." Reaching into his inside coat pocket, Connor pulled out the letter Adam had received from his father. "The police found this on one of the men they arrested. It was addressed to you so I said I would get it back to you."

Connor didn't notice the change in Adam's expression or the way he stiffened a bit when he took that letter, but Grace did. She wondered why and guessed she would ask when she had the chance. She was always curious and sometimes it got her into trouble. She didn't think this was going to be one of those times but guessed that the subject was going to be serious and wisely refrained from blurting out the questions she had. She waited instead until Connor had left to ask about the dinner.

"Is there a reason why you don't want me to be at that dinner this evening?"

"It's not that I don't want you there but that there's no need for you to be there. You've been inconvenienced by me quite enough already. All that we're going to do is talk business and you're not part of that."

"I thought we were friends. It's not an inconvenience to help friends."

"Grace, I have a feeling that you want more from me than I'm ready to give right now. The plan we had was fine, but that's what I wanted: a companion for the theater and some evenings out. I frankly wasn't looking for anything more."

"That was what I wanted too." Grace was careful to put it in the past tense so that she was being truthful without giving away how she was feeling at the moment.

"All right, then, we can continue the way we were. I'll call on you for dinner and the theater if you're still willing. It may not be often if I decide to do what I'm inclined to do and take Connor up on his offer."

"Why would that make so much of a difference?"

"Grace, all of the mine holdings are well away from Sydney and the railroad construction would be far from the city as well. If I get involved in that, which is what I thought I would be doing when I came here, then I won't be in the city much."

Grace couldn't hide her disappointment at that which made Adam smile because he was pleased at least a little that it bothered her. He did still think there was a chance that they could have a relationship but was going to try to follow Paul's advice and take it slow. If they couldn't be friends, then they couldn't have a long term relationship. He thought that it probably wasn't fair not to let her in on what he was thinking but didn't know her well enough yet to share more. He still had feelings of loss and guilt that he hadn't reconciled within himself yet so he could hardly burden her with them or at least that's what he told himself then. Later that night after telling Connor that he would accept the partnership and agreeing to meeting with lawyers the next day, he lay in bed and thought more about Grace. He knew it was fear as much as anything that kept him from opening up to her. What if he told her about himself? Would she still want to be with him if she knew the whole story about him and why he was in Australia? He was worried that she might not. And then there was Connor who wanted him to be interested in Grace and had obviously been thinking about it that day because he had asked some pointed questions at dinner when the two of them had finished talking business. Grace had not been there after taking the hint from Adam that he wanted to talk business with Connor.

"I thought that you and Grace might be attracted to each both of you being kind of at odds with what society expects. Neither of you seem to like to follow the path others have set for you."

"That's probably true but that doesn't guarantee a mutual attraction."

"I daresay it must not, but I can tell that she is very interested in you. She's never shown much interest in any man before finding them all beneath her standards whatever those may be. But you seem to have piqued her interest mightily."

"We're friends. I'll continue to see her if you find that acceptable. She wants to go to the theatre with me and we'll have dinners together."

"That may be difficult with what we've outlined for you to do."

"I've warned her about that."

"Well, then, that's that then. Well, at least she's found a friend although I would much prefer she find a husband and settle into a normal life."

"You sound more like her father than a cousin when you talk like that."

"I know, but I had to grow up fast when my father died and left me in charge of the family business interests and then when Grace's parents died, I felt that I had to help her too. She hasn't much of a business mind preferring science and such. She was years younger but that curiosity led us on some grand adventures when we were children and led us into quite a bit of trouble with our parents too, I daresay. I grew up, but somehow Grace has never lost those qualities."

"She is an interesting woman."

And for the first time, Connor began to wonder if Adam was truly interested in Grace but holding back for some reason. It was an intriguing thought with lots of possibilities. He talked with his wife about it when he arrived home much as Adam was thinking about it as he tried to fall asleep.

Chapter 10

For the next several days, Adam hardly remembered to eat meals as he was so busy in meetings with engineers, architects, and with bankers and Connor. There plans to make and orders to compile and process, and he had to coordinate everything. In the evenings, he studied all the projects trying to learn everything he could about terrain, personnel, and what progress had been made in each endeavor already. He was beginning to catch some of the enthusiasm that Connor had about the possibilities.

"Adam, I think the Blue Mountains and the Southern Highlands have the potential for more gold than Victoria can produce. I've bought up as much land with potential that I could get from here to Dubbo and Kiandra. I didn't pay much for any of it. If we get one rich hit on any of it, then the investment will be worthwhile. Two or more, and the wealth could be enormous. So far, we've had some surface strikes but I think there's richer deposits that can be mined. That's where you come in with your knowledge of mining."

"I don't know how to find gold."

"I have men hired to do their best to do that. You'll be in charge of mining where they tell us the gold is. If it's there, and you can create an efficient system for extracting it, we're going to be the richest men in New South Wales."

"But if we don't?"

"Then we'll have to try something else."

Connor was confident, and very sure too that if it failed, he could recover and try something else. Adam worried though because he had sunk all that he had into this endeavor because he had been convinced it would succeed or that it probably would. He would work to make it succeed, but if it didn't, he would lose all that he had. It was at dinner that Saturday night that Grace helped him put that into a better perspective.

"You seem rather morose for someone about to embark on a grand adventure."

"From what I've heard, the conditions will be primitive. I'll be living in a tent, sleeping on a cot, and probably won't have a chance to bathe or even shave until I return here in a month or so."

"A month? I had no idea you would be gone so long."

"There's a lot to do, and travel is difficult and time consuming. I'll do all that I can do each time I'm out there. I think it may be one of the reasons that Connor found me so attractive as a partner. I've got experience living in conditions like that so it wouldn't stop me from accepting the partnership."

"Oh, don't sell yourself so short. Connor wanted you as part of his company as soon as he saw your qualifications. Your rough edges put him off a bit, but once he got used to that, he was sure of his initial judgment."

"I changed my initial impression of him as I've come to understand society here better."

"Yes, he can be a bit stuffy and full of himself at times, but he means well and would do anything he could to help family and friends."

"Yes, I found that out. He told me a bit about you too and how you used to get him in trouble when you were children even though you were the younger one."

"Well, it seems you know quite a bit about me, but I know almost nothing about you. Why is that, Adam? I know that you have that letter from your father so I know you have one, but you never speak of your family or your home."

"This is my home now. I would like to concentrate on being here."

"You're quite good at evasion too. Each time I try to get you to talk about your family, you do that, but all right, if that's what you want. Let's talk about you here in your new home and get back to my original question. Why did you come in here looking so morose?"

"And your cousin is correct. You are very curious and persistent."

"That isn't an answer. Are you worried about failing and disappointing your family somehow?"

"I probably couldn't disappoint them more than I already have. No, I want to change my life but events seem to be moving me along and pushing me into old habits. Wanting to change is a lot different than being able to change. I made decisions without having the time to think them through and consider the consequences, and now I think I accepted this partnership the same way. Even though Connor made it clear he wasn't going to be able to give me much time to think about it, it still rankles that I made another impulsive decision that has such a great impact on my life."

"Isn't it what you wanted to do when you came here?" Adam nodded albeit somewhat reluctantly because he could see where she was going with her argument. "Isn't the use of your money in these investments exactly how you planned to invest your money or that's what I thought you told me when we first talked about it? You wanted to invest in mining and railroads with the idea that you could sell your shares or stocks in five years or less and have ready cash." Adam nodded again. "Then I don't see the problem."

"I feel that my life isn't in my control. I feel that there are forces moving me along and I have no say."

Grace smiled. "Adam, perhaps you lived with your family too long. That's how all of us feel sometimes." She waited then for his reaction and saw a number of changes in his expression as he thought about what she had said. It was one of the things she loved about him. He listened to her ideas.

While she waited, Adam was thinking that living with his father making decisions had probably insulated him from many things and living in Nevada on a ranch had been insulating too. Now he was experiencing more of the forces that shaped the world and was going to have to adjust his thinking and his behavior. "So, it was as if I was a ship in a safe harbor, and now that I'm out and charting my own course, I have to deal with winds and waves and they aren't always going to go the way I want them to go."

"Yes, and there is your crew too, and there are so many ports of call, and there can be storms. I have to say that I find your captaining to be very admirable so far."

That got the full dimpled smile that made Grace respond in kind, but her smile faded a bit at what Adam said next. "Grace, I'm so glad we're friends. You're so good for me. I don't know what you see in me or what I do for you, but I do know what you do for me. You always make me feel better." Grace had hoped for more but admitted to herself that the two of them had not ever broached the subject of a romantic relationship. She thought perhaps that she should but wasn't sure how to do that. She tried when he bid her goodnight.

"Adam, have you ever thought about kissing me goodnight instead of simply saying farewell?"

Startled because those were his exact thoughts but he had no intention of acting on them, Adam could only respond with denial. Grace was sorely disappointed but covered it as well as she could. She closed her door as Adam left, but tears slowly coursed down her cheeks. Her housekeeper came to get her coat and to ask if she needed anything. She shook her head and headed up the stairs to her bedroom as her housekeeper watched her go and wondered what the young man had done to make her employer so sad. She would have been surprised to learn that it was something that he had not done.

As he traveled back to his hotel, Adam had many thoughts but most centered on Grace. He wanted so much to take his time with her and follow Paul's advice, but he could tell that she was impatient with him. Knowing she would be in his thoughts and dreams, he resigned himself to a difficult time about that situation and only could hope that her patience wouldn't wear out before their friendship could develop enough for him to know her and learn to trust her. Even then, he wondered if he was good enough for her and if he should subject her to his past and what was inevitably going to be a complicated future especially when he returned home. His thoughts were made even darker when he got to the hotel and found that there were letters there from his brothers. Like the letter from his father, Adam was reluctant to open the letters and face what he feared might be in them especially as he was already feeling down. He had not yet answered his father's letter and knew he had to do that too. He decided to put all of it off to Sunday night.

On Sunday morning, Adam headed to church anxious not only to be at a church service again but wanted to see Paul and Rachel too. He felt some peace listening to familiar hymns and singing along and Paul's sermon about forgiveness hit home too. After the service, Adam waited until Paul was able to bid farewell to all the members of the congregation who stopped at the church door to see him. Once it seemed that there were no more members waiting, Adam approached Paul and the two friends greeted each other although Adam sensed that Paul was nervous about something. It didn't take long for that issue to surface as Rachel approached with Prudence, and Paul explained that they had taken her in as their housekeeper and that she would be their nanny too once the baby was born.

"Adam, she has no one else, and we need the help."

Saying nothing more until the ladies headed to the rectory to prepare lunch, Adam turned to Paul. "I understand, and she did have reasons for what she did. Is she also there to keep an eye on Rachel?"

With a serious look, Paul nodded. "There is that extra benefit. They do everything together because Prudence doesn't feel comfortable going anywhere alone. That means that Rachel is never alone which actually makes her feel better. We both know she won't do anything when there are witnesses. This will help her too."

"Then things are working out for you very well."

"How about you, Adam? How are things working out for you?"

"It depends. Are you asking about business or personal issues, because business is going well although I've taken a big leap of faith?"

"Well, all we have that we can count on is family, faith, and friends although I take it this is a different kind of faith. What is the new endeavor?"

So Adam explained what he had agreed to do with Connor and what it would mean for his immediate future. "I probably won't be back for three weeks or a month. The conditions for living and for travel are a bit primitive."

"Does that bother you?"

"No, I worked on a ranch for twenty years and that meant a lot of similar conditions. I'm used to it."

"Not that; I meant being gone for that long. Isn't that going to create a problem if you want to pursue a relationship with Grace?"

With a sigh, Adam nodded and looked away for a time before answering. "Paul, I don't know what to do. Grace is impatient with me and wants more than what I'm ready to offer. I'm not sure if I'm the right man for her either. You know my past. She doesn't. She has no idea what kind of mess I made of things with my family and how difficult it will be when I go back there."

"You will go back then?"

"Yes, I wasn't sure until I got a letter from my father and realized I was going to have to go back. Jamie has the right to know the truth someday. I need to be there to face him when he learns it. It would be too cowardly to let him deal with it alone."

"He wouldn't be alone."

"No, but as the one most responsible for what happened, I need to be there."

"At some point, you need to tell everything to Grace and let her decide. I daresay she's one of the smartest women I've ever met, and even though I don't know her well, I think she may surprise you with what she can handle."

"I'll think about that. I have a lot of time to do that because I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Bathurst and then I'll be moving on to properties that Connor has purchased to see about getting some mining projects started. Then I have to see about purchasing some land where we can get timber for shoring up those mines. Once that's done, I'll be coming back here to give reports to Connor and finalize those deals."

"It doesn't sound like you'll have much time."

"Nights and Sundays will be mine, and I doubt there'll be any social activity to occupy my time."

"You might be surprised at that. I worked in some mining camps and men there seemed to be able to devise all sorts of activities."

"Yes, I have some experience with that too, but they didn't usually invite the boss."

"Well, there is that. Good luck, Adam, and if there is anything I can do, please call on me. I'm always here to help."

After thanking Paul, Adam headed back to the hotel after having lunch alone at a restaurant. He had declined Paul's invitation to lunch because he wasn't yet ready to have lunch with Prudence knowing what had happened. When he got back to his room, he sat down to read the letters from his brothers and to pen a letter to his father. He realized that these letters like the one from his father must have been written about the time he left or shortly thereafter. He wondered how much things might have changed since then but he could only read what was there. The letter from Hoss talked about everything but what had happened to make him leave. It was comforting to read about normal things, and he guessed that Hoss had known that. The letter from Joe was harder to read. Much as Joe had pushed for the truth when Adam had been home, he pushed now for Adam to write to their father and talk honestly with him. He said their father was having a difficult time accepting everything no matter how brave a face he put on. As usual, Joe hit Adam right where it hurt most, and it was probably because the two were alike in many ways so Joe understood how Adam was feeling and knew what he had to do to feel better about it. Joe did say that their father and Troian seemed to have reached some kind of understanding and did have a reasonably good marriage. The difficulties were about Jamie. Ben wanted to see Jamie as his grandson but could not under the circumstances. It almost seemed as if Ben and Joe were pushing for the truth to come out. Adam wondered at that and wondered if that was something that could ever happen. He wrote a letter to Hoss telling him all about what he had learned about Australia. He wrote a letter to Joe thanking him for his advice and explaining as much as he could about how conflicted he was about what to do. Then he penned a letter to his father agreeing that Jamie must know, and when it was time, he would be there to tell him. He also told his father about the business project he had agreed to pursue with Connor. In none of the letters did he mention Grace. He wasn't sure what to say about her so said nothing. That would have to be in a future letter if there was any news.

By the time he finished writing letters, it was late. He skipped dinner and went to bed early instead. In the morning, he posted the letters on the waterfront by contacting a ship's captain who was headed to San Francisco to get them sent there. Then he got his things together and headed out of the city for a busy few weeks.

Chapter 11

A month later, Adam walked back into his hotel and was almost escorted back out until he identified himself and was recognized. He had a full beard and was dressed like a miner from the outback. He was sorely in need of a bath and clean clothing, and he had lost weight as well. The clerk agreed to have a bath prepared as quickly as possible with extra towels and soap as Adam requested. Adam also asked for a meal to be sent to his room in an hour. When he was clean, shaved, and full, he fell into bed and slept through to the next morning. He dressed and headed to Connor's office with a valise full of paperwork. For the next five days, he did what he had been doing for the past month. He avoided thinking about anything personal by throwing himself into work and letting it consume all of his time and energy. Connor was actually concerned about him when he first saw him and then saw how he was during the week with his only focus on work.

"Are you going to see Grace on Saturday? Perhaps you could go to dinner and enjoy the theater. You certainly look like you could use some time to relax."

"I have too much to do. If we want this whole thing to succeed, I still have a lot to do."

"Adam, I want this to succeed too, but I don't want you to kill yourself doing it. We have years to make this work out and be profitable."

"All we have is money going out and nothing coming in."

"I have enough resources especially with the capital you invested to keep this operation solvent for at least two to three years even if we don't hit it big on any of those properties. We have time."

"I don't like living like this."

"It's what we need to do for a while, but we won't make any money at all if you get sick or hurt because you're exhausted. Take tomorrow off. If you don't see Grace, at least step away from the work and rest. You look like bloody hell. I've been holding back saying that, but I have to tell you now to make you do what you need to do."

"Are we moving along well enough in the construction side of the business?"

Pausing a moment in thought, Connor made a decision that Adam didn't like. "I'm not going to tell you anything about that right now. You're so caught up in work that you've lost sight of what's important. I know because I do that too but I don't think I've ever gone as far down that road as you. Adam, you need to take some time to get some perspective on things."

"Everyone wants to give me advice."

"Have you thought it's because we like you and it's what friends do when they see a mate going the wrong way?"

"Mate? Seems that Grace is having an effect on you."

"I'm afraid she is, but she's also taught me that I need to bend a bit to talk to people the way they are. I have found that I get along better with Spencer and the others if I can manage to use some of their vernacular. Of course, when with those of similar wealth and privilege, I still know how to act the part." Connor grinned then making Adam like him better knowing he wasn't so committed to those class distinctions that seemed to dominate society in Sydney. "I do think you need to spend some time relaxing this weekend. There's a lot to do other than work. On Sunday, why don't you plan to come to dinner with us?"

"And Grace?"

"Yes, Grace is almost always with us for Sunday dinner."

"All right, but Connor, I won't promise I'll be there. I'll only say that I'll try to be there. I'll have to let you know."

"As soon as you can though, please, because Eleanor will want to know."

After agreeing, Adam left not sure what he would do. He had no letters from home and hadn't expected any. The travel time between the two countries was such that they were probably only getting his letters or about to get them. He would likely have to wait another month for an answer to anything he had written. He missed his family and the past month without his new friends had been far more difficult than he had thought it would be. Having always thought that he could be alone without being lonely, Adam was surprised to learn that it had been because he had known his family was on the Ponderosa which was a safe haven to which he could return. In many parts of the country, he had had friends to whom he could turn for anything he needed as well. In Australia, he was truly alone and felt that way much of the time. Now in addition to not knowing exactly how he felt about Grace, he was worried that he might be desiring a relationship with her because she offered a solution to his loneliness. Mostly he was confused about what to do, and he wasn't used to being in that state. He had trouble sleeping that night and decided on Saturday morning to go see Paul. Although he had objected the day before to getting advice, he was going to ask for more. However the discussion wasn't what he wanted to hear either.

"Paul, the more I think about Grace, the more I think I should walk away. I don't want to subject her to the mess I made of my life because she'll be confronted by that when I go back, and I have told my father I'll go back and tell the truth to Jamie when he's older."

"Adam, wouldn't it be better to tell Grace what happened and let her decide. You've said you admire her and like so much about her. Why give all that up without even giving her a chance?"

"She'll get over me easier and I would rather not share that story and see the look in her eyes when she hears it."

"So it's your feelings that you care more about and not hers?"

"I care about her feelings. I think it would be better to spare her feelings rather than lead her along and then dash everything by letting her know what kind of man I am. She'll get over me and find someone else."

"You can't dictate another's feelings. You can't predict another's thoughts either. After what she's done for you, I think she deserves a chance. You're denying her the honesty that friends owe to each other."

"You think I should tell her and let her reject me instead of me making the decision for her?"

"I guess you could put it that way."

After leaving Paul's parsonage, Adam headed to Grace's home. She met him at the door with a huge smile and was clearly disappointed to find him far less enthusiastic. At least he asked her to go to dinner with him that night. After setting a time, Adam left. Grace wondered at his strange mood and guessed that perhaps he was tired because he looked as if he was and noted that he looked quite a bit thinner too. She spent the afternoon picking out what she wanted to wear, getting her hair just right, and then accessorizing because she hoped that finally Adam might see her romantically and wanted to encourage him as much as possible. Right on time, Adam was there with a carriage and they proceeded to the restaurant as he talked about meeting with Connor and told her that he had talked with Paul too. She was a bit jealous knowing he had been in town since Monday and hadn't contacted her until that day and perhaps a bit of that slipped into her tone because Adam seemed to get quieter as they spent more time together. At the table in the private dining alcove that he had requested, she apologized.

"Adam, I'm sorry if I sounded a bit peevish, but I did miss you, and knowing that you had been here since Monday irritated me. It shouldn't have. You don't owe me anything, but I thought we were friends, and you would have wanted to see me. We could have had dinner and you could have told me about your time in the mountains."

That caught Adam off guard because it was so unexpected. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about that. I've been thinking about telling you something else entirely and hadn't thought about talking about such mundane things."

"I hadn't thought of it as mundane, but that intrigues me. What do you have to tell me that four weeks of your adventure seems mundane in comparison?"

Sighing audibly, Adam asked her if they could perhaps talk about the mundane for a while and have dinner. After dinner, Grace pressed him again, and he put his head down and pressed his hand against his forehead for a moment before raising his head and looking at her so seriously that she was worried.

"I have a story to tell you about me and what I've done that led me here. It's about the mess I made of my life and what I'll have to face when I go back home, and yes, I will be going back home at some point. I think you do have the right to know what kind of man you have befriended. I was going to walk away to let you forget me, but Paul convinced me to tell you everything." So Adam told Grace the story of Troian and how his son Jamie had come to be raised by his father who had married Troian. By the time he finished, he could see that she was shocked. He didn't know what part of the story had shocked her more, but there were so many parts that might have done it that it didn't matter that much. "Let's go." He stood and helped her with her wrap and escorted her from the restaurant. Outside, he helped her into the carriage and before she could react, he closed the door and signaled the driver to take her home. He turned then and walked to his hotel sure he would never see her again.

The next morning, Adam didn't go to church. He not only didn't feel worthy after another night of feeling the weight of memories, but he also didn't want to see Grace. Even if she said nothing, he didn't want to see what was in her eyes when she looked at him. At that point, he had to admit to himself that he loved her and would have to accept another loss as he wondered how he was ever going to find someone to share his life after all that he had done to mess it up. On Saturday afternoon, he had gone out to look at a property to buy because he was tired of not having a home. There were so many things he could not control in his life, but that at least he could change. The small, fully furnished, stone house with the solid red roof was well outside Sydney so the price was low enough for him to afford it even with his limited resources at that point. Tired of the class distinctions that seemed to rule society, he preferred the country life and it was on the way to where he needed to go to do his work anyway. It was only a short ride into town to the office to meet with Connor as necessary, and he would have peace and calm when he worked at home. Although rather out of the ordinary, he went to see the man who had the keys to the property and told him he would buy it. He said he would take the dog that came with it too as had been offered.

"I rather liked the dog, and I think he'll be good company. He looks like he wouldn't mind traveling with me when I have to go to the mountains. It'll be nice not to be alone for those trips."

The man smiled and told him the property was his for a fraction of what he had been quoted only one day earlier. "Marston loved that dog. When he was dying, he wanted to make sure that someone would take care of him as well as be a friend to him. My instructions were to offer the dog as part of the sale and only sell to a man who would take both and at the price I just quoted you. The money will go to the church. He had no children and thought his friends had enough money without needing his. He always called the dog, Snake, by the way. He thought it funny when he called his dog and people would jump and look about scared that there was a snake in the vicinity."

"Are there keys or anything that I need to take possession?"

"No, he didn't believe in locks. If you want those, you'll have to install them yourself. We can do the formal paperwork tomorrow, but go ahead and settle in there whenever you wish. Snake will be happy to see you. The two of you got on well together yesterday, and I'm sure he's been lonely with no one there for the past few weeks."

"Who's been feeding him?"

"Marston had a local working for him taking care of the stable and such. He wasn't around yesterday, but I'm sure he'll want to keep working there if you want to retain him. I don't recall his name, but he's one of the indigenous people. Most of Marston's neighbors disapprove, but he never cared about that."

The two men shook hands and Adam headed back to his hotel to check out. He had a message sent to Connor that he would be missing Sunday dinner. With his bags in hand, he made his way to the stable where had rented a horse before and made a deal to purchase one with a saddle and tack. He was going to need some basic supplies too but wouldn't be able to get those until the next day so he stopped at a restaurant and got some food packed in a sack to take with him. By early afternoon, he arrived at his new home and Snake came bounding up to meet him obviously pleased that he was back and overjoyed that he had food in the sack he was carrying. Smiling, Adam put the horse in the stable and made sure he had water before he headed to the house with Snake. Inside, he found that everything was in order as it had been when he looked at the house on Saturday and guessed the man who took care of the place must have come in regularly over the past few weeks to clean because there wasn't any dust anywhere. He shared some of the food with Snake and then put his clothing in the bedroom and his few books on the table in the parlor. The house only had three rooms and a washroom. The parlor had a very large table though which Adam planned to use for work but knew that if he ever entertained, he could seat at least eight there. The kitchen was roomy too and the bedroom was large enough. He finally felt at home and when he sat in the chair in the parlor and Snake lay down at his feet as he pulled a book to read, he felt more relaxed than he had in a very long time.

The next morning, Adam walked to the stable with Snake on his heals and he surprised a man working in the stable mucking out the stall where the horse was. The man quickly recovered and asked Adam if he still had a job.

"You must be the man who was working for Marston?"

"Yes, I saw you yesterday, and I knew you was all right because Snake was all right with you."

"Where were you? I didn't see you."

"I'm never seen if I don't want to be. I was up where I sleep." The dark-skinned man pointed up above to the loft.

"That's where you live?"

"It's better than outside."

"All right, I guess. Yes, I want you to keep working here. What do I pay you?"

"Marston gave me food and a place to live."

"But how much money do I pay you?"

"No money. Only food and place to live."

"But I should give you money."

"Give me more food then."

"You can't eat more."

"My family can."

Understanding then, Adam put out his hand. The man wasn't sure how to react but then smiled and shook Adam's hand. He had never shaken a white man's hand but had seen white men do it to seal a deal. He liked this white man who spoke differently and acted differently than other white men. He hoped there were going to be more white men like this one instead of those who hunted his people especially the men. He was smiling and held onto Snake as their new friend rode off to Sydney in the near distance.

Chapter 12

When Adam got to the office, he was ready to share his news about the house and to continue working with Connor but found his partner diffident and difficult. Finally, he asked what was wrong.

"I would like to ask you the same. I want to know what you did to Grace first of all. She was at my home yesterday but left early. I could tell she had been crying, but she didn't want to talk about it. She only said that you didn't trust her and didn't believe in her so you were just like all other men."

With surprise bordering on shock, Adam stared at Connor trying to understand how Grace could think that about him. He didn't. "I thought it best to be honest with her and tell her about my past and what I planned for my future. She said nothing about it, and I had the driver take her home. After that, I don't know why she feels that way. I can see that she would be disappointed in me especially in not telling her sooner but surely she must understand that I needed to trust her to be that honest with her."

"I don't know either what happened, but I do know that whatever you did upset her and hurt her deeply. I hope that you can find a way to apologize to her or at least to stay away from her to let her get over you."

"I had planned to do that." Adam told Connor then about his new place giving him both the address and directions on how to get there not that he ever expected Connor to visit him. It was too far outside of what Connor would find comfortable. He was rather certain of that. However Connor dutifully wrote everything down as if it mattered and tucked the paper away in his inside suit pocket. "She'll have plenty of time to get over me. I leave tomorrow again for the mines. I won't be back for two weeks or more. I'll let you know as soon as I see how things are progressing at the mines."

It was all business after that, and the next morning, Adam left as planned saying goodbye to Can-do, the man who was now his employee and looked after the place. It wasn't the man's name but what his former employer had called him. He told Adam that he doubted Adam could pronounce his actual name and that he was used to Can-do, and as it was a positive name to have in English, he didn't mind. He told Adam that some of his people were forced to take names they didn't want in order to work for whites so he was pleased to have a choice. It was agreeable to Adam too then who made sure there was plenty of food there for him and for him to take to his family wherever they were. Can-do didn't trust Adam enough to let him know where that was.

When Adam returned over two weeks later, the place looked very good and he praised Can-do for his work.

"Family likes the extra food and came to help me. You better boss man, they say. Snake look happy too."

"Yes, he seemed to like being out on the trail and being in the camps with all the men. Snake got a lot of attention."

"Angry sad lady come here to see you. She not say much and then leave."

With a fairly good idea of who that had been, Adam had mixed feelings about what he should do. He wanted to go see Grace and apologize for upsetting her, but he didn't know how she would react to that. He did need to let Connor know he was back and give him some fairly good news about their projects so he cleaned up and headed to town leaving Snake at home. He got to the office by early afternoon and saw Connor who almost didn't recognize Adam with over two weeks growth of beard and still wearing the type of clothing he wore when in the field.

"I didn't have time for a full bath so I came like this. I thought you would like to know the good news. The big mine on the property near Dubbo is already producing high quality ore. We hit a vein almost as soon as we started the tunneling. That one is going to be very profitable."

"That's wonderful news. And the other project?"

"The one near Kiandra is proceeding more slowly but from what the men there say, they've found nuggets in the ground all around there as they dig. They're letting the men keep the small ones if they turn in the larger ones so we actually are making a profit there without getting any ore out yet. It looks like it could be an even richer vein though. The men are working enthusiastically too. They want to find the small nuggets so they spend as many hours as they can working every day. Some will even go out on their own time on Sunday and dig for a while. The project is ahead of schedule."

"Do you think it wise to let the men have the gold like that? It sets a dangerous precedent."

"Not a dangerous one but rather a smart one. We'll never have a shortage of workers and we'll be able to demand the best workers. Anyone who doesn't measure up, we can let go because there will be a ready and willing capable man there to take his spot. It's hard and dangerous work, but if the compensation is good enough, we'll have men willing to do it."

"And our competitors will be begging for workers and having to take those we don't want."

The two men grinned at each other then. They were motivated by different goals but they reached the same conclusions about how to run their mines. It was going to be a good partnership as they learned about business and working with employees from each other.

"I've got the reports here on the production so far. It's all good." Adam pulled the papers out and handed them to Connor who was anxious to begin pouring over the figures. After a pause as Connor was busy studying the numbers, Adam said he had to go.

"Grace apparently was out to my house. I better go see her."

Distracted, Connor waved to him and only later realized he should have said something but also realized that it probably wouldn't have done any good to tell Adam how upset Grace was. He was going to find that out anyway.

At Grace's house, Adam knocked on the door which was answered by the housekeeper who gave him a nasty glare he suspected was for his attire and for what she supposed was his treatment of her employer. He stood inside the door as the woman went to tell Grace that he was there. She had hardly wanted to let him in but had no reason good enough to deny him entry. When Grace came into the hallway leading to the entryway, Adam saw her anger in every move she made and the way she looked at him.

"I heard that you came out to my house."

"Yes, I went to your hotel only to find that you had left without telling me, and then I went to your house after Connor gave me directions but you were already gone. I wanted to tell you that you were terribly inconsiderate. You sent me off that night as if my feelings didn't matter. You never gave me a chance to say what I was feeling. All you cared about was what you were feeling. Friends don't do that to friends."

"No, they don't. I'm sorry. I was wrong."

That deflated her anger because she hadn't been expecting it at all. She changed tactics then expressing what she had been feeling. "I think about you all the time. I dream about you. I don't care what you did. I care about who you are now and what you do now and what you will do in the future. That's what matters to me."

For a short time, they stood silently until Adam moved closer to her step by step. "You wanted me to kiss you goodbye once. You asked me if I ever thought about doing that. The answer is yes. But sometimes people kiss when they greet each other or they kiss when they want to make up after a disagreement. Would that be acceptable to you?" By then, he was only a short distance from her and opened his arms to her to see if she was willing. She stepped closer to him which he took as a yes. He leaned down toward her and brushed his finger across her upper lip and then her lower lip.

"Kissing means that we won't only be friends. It means that we will be embarking on a new stage in our relationship. Are you ready for that?"

Grace could only nod slightly mesmerized by the experience. Men had tried to kiss her before but usually that meant that they moved in forcefully and she did her best to fend them off. This was an entirely different kind of experience. Adam leaned toward her and kissed her right cheek softly almost like a butterfly's wings brushing across her cheek and then kissed his way across to her other cheek as she turned her face up to meet him hoping for more. He moved to her lips then placing his lips on hers and gradually increasing the pressure as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with more and more enthusiasm. He paused though.

"At this point, it would be nice to have some reciprocity. You could participate too."

"What do I do?"

"You could wrap your arms around me and then do whatever seems natural to do." For the first time, Adam realized how inexperienced Grace was with men. He thought he was definitely going to have to take things slowly. However, when he moved to pull away, she didn't want him to do that.

"Can't we kiss more?"

"Yes, but perhaps not right now. I think we should talk."

"All right. Your beard tickles, but I like it. Do you think you could trim it though so it doesn't look so wild and bushy?"

Smiling at that, Adam nodded. He rather liked having a beard. Adam stayed for dinner, and that became a pattern for the next two weeks as he and Grace spent evenings and weekends together and learned more about each other as well as spent more time kissing at Grace's insistence. When it was nearing time for Adam to head out to the camps again, Grace had a suggestion.

"Adam, I should go with you. I'm a doctor and you said those men never get to see a doctor because it's so isolated out there. They probably wouldn't mind that I'm a woman if I can lance a boil or take care of a wound or a broken bone. I could finally use my education."

"Grace, you can't travel into those camps. A single woman simply doesn't go into those camps except to make money."

Knowing what he meant, Grace turned a little bit red. "But surely they would see me differently."

"They would see you differently if you were married. They treat the few married women with respect."

With a saucy grin, Grace had an answer for that too. "Well, then, mister, you could marry me and that would solve that."

At first grinning, Adam got a more serious look. "Did you just propose to me?"

"Uh, what if I did?"

"Well, it's not like I haven't been thinking about that."

"You have?"

"Of course I have. Once I decided to kiss you, it became a real possibility. The more time I spend with you, the more I like the idea. I didn't know if you liked the idea though."

"Well, I like the idea too. If you asked me, I'd say yes."

"But you asked me first instead."

"Are you going to say yes, or are you going to ask me?"

"Yes"

"You're impossible. Which question are you answering?"

"Both."

Grace paused and then smiled. "Yes."

"Let's go see Paul and make the arrangements."

"But that means six weeks. I won't be able to go with you."

"There's a way around that too if you're willing. We can go get married legally with Paul and Rachel as witnesses, and then in six weeks we can have the religious ceremony and the big party and celebration of our wedding."

"Oh, I like that."

Paul was somewhat reluctant at first to go along with their scheme but when Adam said that he and Grace would spend most of their time out of the city so that no one would be scandalized by their behavior, Paul agreed. That night, they drove to Adam's home in the country to spend their first night together as a married couple. Adam was as patient with Grace that night as he had been with the first kiss taking his time and telling her what to do so that she could enjoy their first time together as husband and wife. The next morning, Grace was up early and making tea when there quite a commotion with Snake barking loudly at a carriage outside. Grace opened the door to let Connor enter.

"That's a horrible dog out there. I think he wanted to kill me."

"No, he didn't know you and wondered why you are here. Why are you here?"

"No, why are you here? Grace, you can't keep staying with Adam like this. Your reputation cannot survive this. I went to see you last night, and your housekeeper said you packed a bag and left with him. It was too late to come out here last night. I was hoping you would be home late last night, but when you weren't, I came directly here."

"Connor, we should have told you, but we wanted to keep it a secret a bit longer."

"Where is Adam?"

"He's still in the bedroom getting dressed."

"The bedroom! Oh my Lord! You didn't!"

"Oh, Connor, yes we did, but Connor, we got married."

"What?"

Before Connor had a heart attack or stroke, Grace explained everything to him. Adam walked out in the middle of the conversation and watched as his partner and wife's cousin absorbed all the information. He didn't like it.

"I should have expected something like this from the two of you, but I didn't. I shall do my best to cover for you. The wedding will be in six weeks, you say? Very well. That shall have to be good enough. I would like to say congratulations, but at this point, I'm not sure how I feel. I hope there are no more surprises."

But then they told him that Grace would be going to the mining camps to practice medicine and he nearly did have that stroke as his blood pressure rose. Adam told Grace to take her tea and go to the bedroom to dress.

"Connor, you know how much Grace wants to practice what she learned. She'll be able to do that in the mining camps and no one in Sydney will see her being a doctor. Here, she will be my wife and your married cousin as you wanted. However, we will be the only company that has an attending physician visiting their mining camps. Our men will have a benefit that no other mining companies can offer. This is a great boon."

"Adam, I simply cannot think the way you and Grace think, but you are adults, and there is no going back on what has been done. I will pray that this all works out, and that this is not a horrendous mistake. I'll go now. I need some time to think about all of this. Give my best to Grace. I do want the best for her, and I do wish you well."

So Adam and Grace began their new life with changes for both of them. They eventually had three homes. They built one near the larger of the two mining projects and used that when they were there. They lived in Adam's house outside the city when they were in Sydney except when there were formal occasions in town or Sunday dinners when they spent time at Grace's house. With the significant profits from the mines, they were able to expand Adam's house too and add on to the stable to give Can-do a nice tack room with a bed to call his own. Adam's family grew too as he and Grace welcomed a son and a daughter, Abel and Eleanor. Looming over them though was the promise that Adam had made to go back home someday to tell Jamie the truth about his heritage. Grace got to know Adam's family as well as she could through letters because she knew it was going to be a challenge when she went to America with him. Both she and Adam maintained a regular correspondence with the Ponderosa and Grace even found herself writing letters back and forth with Troian which was something Adam didn't do. He only wrote letters to his father and brothers even though he received a few letters from her. After eight years in Australia, Adam looked up from the latest short letter from his father and asked Grace if she was ready for a move. She knew it was time to face that trip to America. She nodded. There was going to be another story for them.


End file.
